Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday deemed the possibility of an extension of restrictions on the export of Ukrainian grains in the European Union “unacceptable” as five neighboring countries plan to protect their farmers.
“Any extension of restrictions is absolutely unacceptable and downright anti-European. Europe has the institutional capacity to act more rationally instead of closing the border to a particular product,” Zelensky said during his daily intervention broadcast on social networks.
Zelensky said he hoped “the European side will fulfill its obligations” when the existing restrictions expire on September 15.
Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania announced on Wednesday that they have signed a joint statement asking the European Commission to extend the embargo on imports of Ukrainian grains into their territories until the end of the year.
In June, the Commission announced that these restrictions could be extended until September 15, despite opposition from Kiev and resistance among member states.
Faced with the influx of Ukrainian agricultural products, following the lifting of the embargo by the European Union in May 2022, these neighboring countries of Ukraine unilaterally banned imports in mid-April to counter the saturation of their silos and the fall in local prices.
Source: DN
