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Ukraine's border service said it had seized a cargo ship accused of illegally exporting grain from Russian-occupied Crimea. The ship was seized "as part of a comprehensive effort to counter Russia's economic crimes," the Ukrainian border service said in a Telegram post. Why it Matters It comes as the Crimea issue remains a key blocker to a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, one highlighted by U.S. President Donald Trump in his recent criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Trump Administration is proposing to recognize Crimea as Russian under a peace deal to end Moscow's war, but Ukraine is pushing back, hoping to keep up pressure on Russia over the territory. Ukraine and its allies do not want the U.S. to legitimize Russia's annexation. An image of the seized vessel released by Ukrainian authorities.
An image of the seized vessel released by Ukrainian authorities. Ukraine's State Border Service What to Know "The investigation established that at the end of 2024, the ship delivered about 5,000 tons of Ukrainian wheat from the port of Sevastopol," Ukraine's border service said. "The grain had been taken from the temporarily occupied southern regions of Ukraine.
To conceal the true origin of the cargo, the vessel was sailing under the flag of one of the Asian countries—this is how Russia's 'shadow fleet' operates." Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. The Crimean Peninsula, which sits in the Black Sea, houses Russia's only warm water port.
It is of strategic and historical importance to Russia, and its population is mostly ethnic Russians. Moscow invaded in 2014 and then again in 2022 to stop Kyiv's move westward, and said Ukraine's ambitions to join NATO were an intolerable security threat. Ukraine says it is a sovereign nation with the right to determine its own future and alliances.
Crimea was made part of Ukraine in the 1950s, and left with it in the breakdown of the Soviet Union in 1991. But Trump said in an interview published on Friday that "Crimea will stay with Russia". "Zelensky understands that," Trump told Time magazine, "and everybody understands that it's been with them for a long time."
Ukraine regards Crimea as temporarily occupied by Russia. Zelensky says he is bound by the Ukrainian constitution, which calls Crimea "an inseparable constituent part of Ukraine." The Kremlin has said its position on Crimea is aligned with Trump's, and that ownership of the peninsula, now under its control, is not up for discussion.
What People Are Saying President Trump told Time: "They've [the Russians] had their submarines there for long before any period that we're talking about, for many years. The people speak largely Russian in Crimea. But this was given by Obama.
This wasn't given by Trump." Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told a press briefing, RBC reported: "First, Ukraine will never recognize any part of its territory as Russian. Second, Ukraine will never agree to any limitation of its armed forces, the Ukrainian defense forces, defense capabilities, defense industry, or military assistance from its partners.
And the third is that no third country has the right to veto Ukraine's choice of alliances and unions." What's Next There is increasing pressure on Zelensky to compromise on territorial concessions, including around Crimea. Trump has threatened to walk away from the peace process unless there is progress soon.
He remains optimistic that a deal is possible, but negotiations continue between the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia. Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin again for talks on Friday. This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
