Foreign Minister criticises EU states' intentions to extend ban on Ukrainian grain
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has criticised five European Union states for plans to limit grain imports from Ukraine after the ban expires, and promised to "firmly defend our rights".
Source: AFP, citing Kuleba in an interview with reporters during his visit to Prague on Monday.
Details: Kuleba explained that Ukraine will consider the unilateral extension of the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain by Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary as a violation of the rules of the common market of the European Union.
Quote: "This move will violate the Ukraine-EU association agreement. Most importantly, this step will go against the principle of solidarity on which the European Union is based."
More details: Kuleba added that Kyiv is ready to work with the five EU members to solve the problem and urged them "not to make the issue of grain export hostage to their internal political processes."
Quote: "If they behave like this, they will leave us with no choice but to fiercely defend our rights and the rights of Ukrainian farmers."
Background:
- In May, the EU authorised Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds while allowing the transit of such goods for export to other countries. The ban is set to expire on 15 September.
- On 25 August, Robert Telus, Polish Minister of Agriculture, stated that the ministers of agriculture of five EU countries agreed to support a ban on Ukrainian grain imports into their countries.
- Instead, Ukraine is firm in its demands that the EU should cancel unilateral restrictions on Ukrainian exports.
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