Poland to ban Ukrainian Grain import if EU fails to extend
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The Polish Prime Minister stresses the importance of opening the borders to grain from Ukraine.
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Harvesters collect wheat in Zghurivka, Ukraine on August 9, 2022. (AP)
Poland is threatening to unilaterally ban importing grain from Ukraine if the European Commission does not extend a ban on Ukrainian grain, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister made it clear, following a meeting of agriculture ministers of countries bordering Ukraine, that in less than two months, on September 15, borders will be opened to grain from Ukraine in accordance with the decision of the European Commission.
Morawiecki said that "Either the European Commission agrees to develop a general regulation that will extend this ban, or we will do it ourselves. We will be firm, we will be decisive and we will definitely defend a Polish farmer."
The five countries bordering Ukraine had been in talks regarding the expiry of an EU ban on Ukrainian grain in 'frontline countries'. Some countries, including Poland, had imposed restrictions on Ukrainian grain on their soil following protests by local farmers that complained of the depression of local prices as a result of Ukrainian grain flooding their markets.
The countries in question remained, however, very much for the transit of Ukrainian grain.
On that note, earlier on Tuesday, the Kremlin cautioned that attempting to move grain from Ukrainian Black Sea ports without Russian security assurances would be dangerous since Kiev exploited the seas for military purposes.
The agreements underlying the contentious Black Sea Grain Deal have been "terminated," the Kremlin stated on Monday morning. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia will return to the agreement as soon as all parties involved take the previously agreed-upon procedures. Peskov stated at a press conference on Monday, the day the pact expired, that the "Black Sea agreements effectively ceased to be in effect today."
Grain deal suspension
Russian First Deputy Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy announced on July 17 that Russia's suspension of the Grain Deal is final and as of now, there will be no further talks.
When asked about possible upcoming negotiations, Polyanskiy said, "Not to my knowledge." Russia's Ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, stated that a note was sent from the embassy to Ukraine via diplomatic connections to notify them that the deal would be terminated on July 18.
Earlier, the European Union decided on June 6 to prolong restrictions on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products imposed by five member states with the aim to safeguard local farmers until September 15. Ukraine was compelled to export more of its commodities by land through EU countries, as a result of the war with Russia.
The EU waived import charges on Ukrainian agricultural products in May 2022. However, a wave of Ukrainian grain imports into eastern European nations depressed local prices and raised concerns about market saturation, prompting Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia to prohibit them unilaterally in April.
