President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday deemed “unacceptable” the possibility of an extension of restrictions on the export of Ukrainian cereals within the EU, as demanded by five neighboring countries of Ukraine in order to protect their farmers.
“Any extension of restrictions is absolutely unacceptable and frankly anti-European. Europe has the institutional capacity to act more rationally rather than closing the border to a particular commodity,” Zelensky said in his daily social media post.
Mr. Zelensky said he hoped that “the European side will fulfill its obligations” when the restrictions in place expire on September 15.
Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania announced on Wednesday that they had signed a joint declaration asking Brussels to extend the embargo on imports of Ukrainian cereals into their territory until the end of the year.
In June, the European Commission announced that these restrictions could be extended until September 15, despite opposition from kyiv and resistance from part of the Twenty-Seven.
Faced with the influx of Ukrainian agricultural products following the lifting of customs duties by the European Union in May 2022, these neighboring countries of Ukraine had unilaterally banned imports in mid-April to stem the saturation of their silos and the collapse of local prices.
This statement by Mr. Zelensky comes after Russia abandoned the important agreement that allowed the export of Ukrainian grain from ports through the Black Sea.
Moscow denounced the obstacles to its own exports of agricultural products due to Western sanctions.
Lithuania proposes more use of Baltic ports
The Lithuanian government for its part called on the European Union to take greater account of the capacities of the Baltic States to support Ukrainian grain exports, after Russia’s recent withdrawal from an agreement which allowed their transport via the Black Sea.
In a letter to the European commissioners, seen by AFP, three Lithuanian ministers considered that the infrastructures of these countries could “serve as a viable and reliable alternative route for the transit of Ukrainian products, including cereals”.
According to them, the Baltic infrastructure has a combined annual capacity of 25 million tonnes for grain alone.
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