Poland to consider banning food imports from Russia
Donald Tusk (Getty Images)
Poland is "thoroughly" assessing the repercussions of Latvia's decision to ban the import of Russian food products and is not ruling out taking corresponding steps itself, according to the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk.
Tusk plans to discuss this matter today with protesting farmers, as the issue of oversupply and “unequal” competition doesn’t solely stem from trade with Ukraine but also from exports from Russia and Belarus, he told journalists in Warsaw after meeting with his Latvian counterpart.
Tusk and Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina have agreed to join forces to persuade European leaders to take action on food imports.
Latvia's decision and Poland's position
The Latvian government has banned the import of grain from Russian territory and is urging the European Union to take the same step, as all Russian agricultural products can be replaced with goods from Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Polish government banned the import of grain from Ukraine back in April 2023.
Furthermore, Warsaw intends to expand the list of products from Ukraine requiring licensing for import, while Kyiv disagrees with these plans.
Additionally, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland and Ukraine are "in talks regarding the closure of the border between the countries for trade." These negotiations have been denied by the Ukrainian government.
Recall that Polish farmers began blocking the border with Ukraine on February 9, demanding the cancellation of the decision on duty-free trade between Ukraine and the EU.
