The EU threatens sanctions against Israel over grain purchases allegedly from Russia's newly occupied regions
¬ Slovakia’s Gas and Oil Union: Filling EU gas storage is extremely difficult
¬ UK Prime Minister Starmer admits Middle East crisis will have long-term impact on Britain
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EU spokesperson Anouar Anouni told Israel’s Haaretz newspaper that there are reports of Israel purchasing "grain from Russia's newly occupied regions," and the EU is considering whether to impose sanctions on individuals and companies in Israel.
On April 27, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiga posted on social media platform X, stating that Ukraine's foreign ministry summoned Israel’s ambassador in Kyiv to deliver a protest note regarding a cargo ship carrying grain allegedly from Russia’s newly occupied regions—territory Ukraine claims as its own.
Haaretz reported that previously, the EU, the US, and the UK had imposed strict sanctions on vessels, individuals, and legal entities linked to the export of "wheat from Russia’s newly occupied regions."
The report noted that the EU has requested information from Israel about this grain-carrying vessel.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry stated that Ukraine’s allegations are baseless. The ministry told Ukraine’s foreign minister that interstate relations should not be built through social media or the press.
Russian Presidential Spokesperson Peskov said the Kremlin would not comment on Kyiv’s accusations against Israel over grain purchases. He said: "Let the Kyiv regime sort it out with Israel; let Israel and the Kyiv regime resolve it themselves."
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Richard Kvasný, executive director of Slovakia’s Gas and Oil Union, told Sputnik News Agency that after winter, EU gas reserves remain low, and filling European gas storage will be very difficult due to Qatar’s liquefied gas production halt caused by the Middle East conflict.
Kvasný said: "After winter, EU gas reserves are very low—around 23%. Filling Europe’s gas storage will be extremely challenging for two reasons. First, Qatar’s supply has declined (accounting for 7% of EU gas supply), and other LNG suppliers cannot easily replace it. Second, the difference between summer and winter gas prices is small, which does not provide sufficient incentive for businesses to refill gas storages."
Previously, Qatar supplied about 7% of Europe’s LNG imports, accounting for 3.5% of regional gas demand. If Qatar’s exports do not resume before year-end, Europe will be forced to seek an additional 56 billion cubic meters of spot LNG. According to ACER data, this will further intensify competition between the EU and Asia for LNG.
On February 28, the US and Israel began launching attacks on targets inside Iran, resulting in more than 3,000 deaths. On April 8, Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire, which is set to expire on April 22. Negotiations held in Islamabad, Pakistan, during this period yielded no results.
The escalation of the Middle East conflict has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz—the critical maritime route through which Gulf states supply oil and liquefied natural gas to global markets—impacting oil exports and extraction levels in the region. As a result, fuel prices have risen across most countries worldwide.
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer admitted that the Middle East crisis will have lasting impacts on Britain.
Speaking to Sky News, Starmer said: "This will affect Britain—it already has… I don’t want anyone to think that once the Strait of Hormuz reopens, the damage will stop. The damage will continue."
He added that people’s lifestyles in Britain may change due to the conflict—for example, they might alter their vacation destinations and grocery shopping habits.
The escalating situation around Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz—the key artery for Persian Gulf oil and liquefied natural gas exports to global markets—also affecting oil exports and production levels in the region. Under these conditions, fuel and industrial product prices have risen across most countries globally.
Source: rfi
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863718880017536/
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