Poland praises Ukraine for suspending grain export complaint at WTO

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
6 Oct 2023 00:22

Kiev announced on Thursday that the WTO legal disputes were "on hold".

Poland's President Andrzej Duda welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as they meet at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Poland praised Ukraine on Thursday for suspending its WTO complaint over grain exports, and urged Kiev to withdraw it completely in order to reduce tensions, AFP reports.

Kiev announced on Thursday that the WTO legal disputes were "on hold".

Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller said that the pausing of Ukraine's complaints at the WTO is "a necessary step."

"We look forward to further constructive actions by Ukraine to develop a suitable relationship on agricultural issues," he told the PAP news agency.

Commenting on the matter, Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said: "We don't know what the suspension of the suit signifies."

"We're asking that it be withdrawn because it is without merit and is absurd," he added.

"Our call to the Ukrainian side is the following: if we want to improve our relations, this lawsuit must simply be withdrawn," the PAP news agency quoted him as saying.

On September 18, Ukraine filed a lawsuit against three of its EU neighbors, namely Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary.

The suit was filed at the World Trade Organization (WTO) due to their bans on Ukrainian grain imports.

This came as a result of the Central European countries defying a recent decision by the European Commission to lift the import ban, sparking a diplomatic dispute with Ukraine, particularly Poland, which has been a staunch ally of Kiev's against Russia.

Then, on September 21, the Prime Minister of Poland announced that they would cease sending weaponry to Ukraine in order to prioritize their own defense.

The matter was of serious magnitude because Poland has consistently stood as a strong ally of Ukraine since Russia launched its special military operation in February 2022.

Poland also serves as one of Kiev's primary weapons sources and has provided extensive state assistance to the approximately one million Ukrainian refugees it hosts.

On Tuesday, Belgian military expert Pierre Henrot told Sputnik that Ukraine's war efforts might head downhill after Poland issued the announcement that it will stop providing Kiev with weapons.

He added that Slovakia's Robert Fico, who is known to oppose the US-led Western role in the conflict, is also adding to these risks.