“We will do this because it is in the interests of Polish farmers,” continued Morawiecki. Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia had already announced similar measures.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced countermeasures if neighbors block the export of Ukrainian grain. In view of the Russian naval blockade, such behavior is not neighborly, Zelenskyy criticized in his daily video address on Friday night. In it he also discussed a telephone conversation with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. He said he thanked him for ending trade restrictions on Ukrainian grain. “Europe always wins when contracts work and promises are kept”, he also called on neighboring countries to comply with EU regulations.
Ukraine is looking for new export routes after the end of the cereals deal brokered by the UN and Turkey. Until then, grain could be transported through the Black Sea, dominated by the Russian fleet. Alternatives to this are land routes. Neighboring countries had originally offered to allow the transport of Ukrainian crops through their own territory. However, this caused domestic cereal prices in Eastern European countries to fall, triggering farmer protests. As a result, the EU imposed a temporary import ban that expires this Friday.
Grain exports are the Kiev government’s most important source of income. Exports also influence global food prices. Africa’s poorest countries, in particular, depend on imports of comparatively cheap cereals.