Zelenskyy on EU grain import ban: Ukraine strongly opposes extension
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: Getty Images)
Ukraine strongly opposes the continuation of the ban on Ukrainian grain imports in five EU countries after September 15, according to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Twitter.
The head of the state mentions that he participated in the summit of the Three Seas Initiative and addressed Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, and the European Commission.
At the Three Seas Summit, I addressed Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Moldova, and the EU Commission.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 6, 2023
Europe—all of us—proved capable of historic acts of solidarity. I thank all of our partners for that.
But why, when Ukrainian ports are burning almost every night… pic.twitter.com/62wGWkXGMi
He notes that Europe has shown itself capable of historic acts of solidarity since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. But now it is unclear why, when Ukrainian ports are burning every night, our country still has to worry about the cessation of overland exports.
"Ukraine is strongly against any further restrictions on the export of our grain. Everyone loses when politics in Europe goes against our common commitments and values. Unity must prevail," emphasized Zelenskyy.
What preceded this
In May, the European Commission allowed Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria to ban the import of Ukrainian grain. This was due to the fact that the import was significantly affecting prices on domestic markets, which caused dissatisfaction among local farmers.
Such measures were introduced until September 15.
Now, however, the five countries mentioned above have announced their intention to extend the restrictions, even if they are not approved by the European Commission.
