Ukraine calls for unhindered export of grain to the EU
The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, condemned Poland’s refusal to lift the ban on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products.
The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, called on the European Commission and Western partners to ensure unhindered food exports to EU countries.
“The Russian Federation has disrupted the grain initiative, is destroying the infrastructure of the Black Sea ports, and is once again provoking a global food crisis. At this critical time, Poland intends to continue to block the export of Ukrainian grain to the EU. This is an unfriendly and populist step that will severely affect global food security and Ukraine’s economy,” the government official said.
Shmyhal emphasized that the restoration of Ukrainian exports to Europe is solidarity not only with Ukraine, but also with the world, which needs grain from Ukraine.
Earlier, the European Commission expressed the hope to restore the full import of Ukrainian grain after September 15. Currently, European politicians are working on increasing the capacity of “solidarity corridors” and solving logistical problems to remove restrictions on imports from Ukraine.
Instead, the governments of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria insisted on extending restrictions on the import of Ukrainian grain to their countries until the end of 2023.