Polish PM sends ultimatum to EU on Ukraine grain export ban extension
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Earlier in the day, the Polish government passed a resolution prohibiting the import of Ukrainian grain beyond September 15, regardless of the European Commission's ruling.
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Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki talks to journalists as he arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels on June 25, 2021. (AP)
On Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he had delivered an ultimatum to the European Commission on the renewal of the ban on Ukrainian grain imports.
Earlier in the day, the Polish government passed a resolution prohibiting the import of Ukrainian grain beyond September 15, regardless of the European Commission's ruling.
Morawiecki told reporters that he had sent an ultimatum to the European Commission that either they "extend the ban on the import of four types of Ukrainian grain on September 15 or we will extend this ban ourselves — because we cannot agree to damage the Polish market."
The prime minister emphasized that Warsaw wants to establish favorable conditions for national farmers.
In late August, the Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said that Ukraine's EU neighboring countries are collectively calling for the extension of the ban on Ukrainian grain imports until the end of the year.
After a videoconference of the Prime Minister of Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria was concluded, the Polish minister said that they had all adopted a joint position.
"We support extending the (grain) import ban to our countries until the end of the year," Telus told reporters.
Protecting local farmers
In June, the EU implemented a ban on imports of grain from Ukraine to the five countries in an effort to protect local farmers and retain stable prices.
Poland warned that in case the bloc refuses to extend the ban, it would implement it unilaterally.
Over the past year, the European Union has emerged as a major transit route and export destination for Ukrainian grain.
On September 5, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that Ukraine will not make any concessions to Russia on the Black Sea Grain Initiative, even though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he considers Moscow's expectations on the initiative to be "fair."
The Turkey- and UN-mediated Black Sea Grain Initiative, or the grain deal, which provided for a humanitarian corridor to allow exports of Ukrainian grain over the past year, expired on July 18, as Russia did not renew its participation in the deal. Moscow said that the deal's component of facilitating Russian grain and fertilizer exports had not been fulfilled.
