Estonia bans transit of Russian and Belarusian grain in response to blockade of Ukrainian ports

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has said his country has banned the transportation of Russian and Belarusian grain through its territory in response to Russia's blockade of Ukrainian grain exports.

Source: Tsahkna on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda

Details: Tsahkna said Russia is attacking Ukrainian ports, blocking Ukrainian grain exports and seeking new routes for transporting its own grain, but Estonia will not provide such a route.

Quote: "I warned already in September: do not make plans to transport Russian grain through Estonia. Today, we turned that warning into law."

Details: Tsahkna added that the Baltic states are working together to ensure their ports do not become transit routes for Russia.

"Russia cannot wage a war of aggression and expect us to help keep its trade flowing. We will not help finance its war or make its aggression easier to sustain," Estonia's foreign minister stressed.

Background:

• Russian exporters have begun redirecting grain shipments from the Black and Azov seas to the Baltic Sea amid Ukrainian attacks on Russian vessels and port infrastructure.
• The Baltic states have strongly opposed the growing volumes of Russian grain being transported in transit through their territories.
• Latvia introduced border controls on grain to prevent the transit of goods stolen from Ukraine and also announced 300% tariffs on grain shipments from Russia and Belarus and their processing.
• Meanwhile, Lithuania is stepping up checks on Russian grain transported through the port of Klaipėda to determine whether it was stolen from Ukraine.

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