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Ukraine Summons Turkish Ambassador After Russian Ship Leaves Port

Azov Concord became the first foreign ship to leave the port with a grain shipment, after being stuck there for days. AP
Azov Concord became the first foreign ship to leave the port with a grain shipment, after being stuck there for days. AP
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Ukraine Summons Turkish Ambassador After Russian Ship Leaves Port

Azov Concord became the first foreign ship to leave the port with a grain shipment, after being stuck there for days. AP
Azov Concord became the first foreign ship to leave the port with a grain shipment, after being stuck there for days. AP

Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Thursday a Russian ship carrying Ukrainian grain had been allowed to leave the Turkish port of Karasu, calling it an "unacceptable situation and summoning Turkey's ambassador.

"We regret that Russia's ship Zhibek Zholy, which was full of stolen Ukrainian grain, was allowed to leave Karasu port despite criminal evidence presented to the Turkish authorities," foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Twitter, Reuters reported.

"Türkiye's Ambassador in Kyiv will be invited to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify this unacceptable situation."

Russian-flagged cargo ship, the Zhibek Zholy, which was suspected of carrying stolen Ukrainian grain, left the Turkish northwest port of Karasu late on Wednesday, Refinitiv ship tracking data showed.

On Sunday, Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey said Turkish authorities had detained the ship. Reuters previously reported that Ukraine had asked Turkey to arrest the ship.

On Wednesday, Russia's foreign ministry dismissed as false reports of the ship's detention by authorities.

Kyiv has accused Moscow of stealing grain from territories seized by Russian forces since their invasion began in late February.

The Kremlin, which calls the action a "special military operation" has previously denied that Russia has stolen any Ukrainian grain.

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US State Department Nixes Climate Office, Revamps Energy Bureau

A 3D-printed miniature model of US President Donald Trump with the US Department of State logo in the background is seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. (Reuters)
A 3D-printed miniature model of US President Donald Trump with the US Department of State logo in the background is seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. (Reuters)
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US State Department Nixes Climate Office, Revamps Energy Bureau

A 3D-printed miniature model of US President Donald Trump with the US Department of State logo in the background is seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. (Reuters)
A 3D-printed miniature model of US President Donald Trump with the US Department of State logo in the background is seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. (Reuters)

The Trump administration has terminated federal employees in charge of US global climate policy and climate aid as part of its reorganization of the country's diplomatic focus, the State Department said on Friday.

The career employees in the Office of Global Change, which came under the State Department's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, played a lead role in US negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Officials from the office also represented the United States at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and their respective shipping and commercial aviation sectors.

The dismissals come after President Donald Trump said he would withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement, as well as from IMO negotiations over decarbonization measures to enable the global shipping industry to reach net-zero emissions by "around 2050".

The United States belongs to the ICAO and had agreed to participate in the UN agency's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and a goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Trump administration, though, has recently objected to ICAO's move to boost sustainable aviation fuel.

It is not clear how or if the United States will continue to participate in these international agreements, or whether some office functions will be folded into other bureaus. The Trump administration has been aggressively rolling back existing US climate policy and dismantled the US Agency for International Development.

A State Department spokesperson said the office had supported efforts to "hobble" the US through participation in climate agreements and is "unnecessary."

There are also changes afoot at the State's Bureau of Energy Resources.

When it opened during the administration of former President Barack Obama, the bureau helped gather support from allies and partners for sanctions on Iran's oil exports. In more recent years the bureau, which has about 80 staffers, has focused on developing critical minerals and oil and gas alternatives and weaning countries off Russian fossil fuels.

Internal documents reviewed by Reuters said the Bureau of Energy Resources would be absorbed into the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs "to ensure a laser-like focus on expanding and exporting American energy."

A department spokesperson said the office grew beyond its original purpose and promoted policies "completely inconsistent with the President’s vision of American energy dominance."

The spokesperson said the bureau's functions it deems useful, such as work on securing access to critical minerals, will be preserved elsewhere in the department.