Kyiv will sue three countries over a ban on grain imports from Ukraine

Ukraine is initiating legal proceedings against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia due to the refusal of these countries to lift the ban on the export of Ukrainian agricultural products. About this Politico told Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative of Kyiv Taras Kachka.

“It is important to prove that these actions are legally unlawful. And so tomorrow we will begin the trial,” Kachka said. He clarified that Kyiv is also considering the possibility of taking retaliatory measures against the import of fruits and vegetables from Poland.

According to the deputy minister, the measures of Hungary and Poland are “a statement of total distrust in the European Commission (EC),” since ignoring the positions of EU institutions in trade policy will be a problem for the EU as a whole, since “there is no unity here.”

On September 15, the EC lifted restrictions on the import of Ukrainian grain to Eastern European countries. In this regard, Ukraine agreed to introduce legal measures within 30 days to prevent the uncontrolled release of grain onto the market. The EC will not introduce any restrictions as long as Kyiv’s measures are in effect and fully operational.

Despite the EC’s decision, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia extended the embargo. On September 15, Budapest banned the import of grain, vegetables, meat products, eggs and honey from Ukraine – a total of 24 types of products. Poland restored the ban on September 16, including cake and meal, but excluding wheat, corn and sunflower seeds necessary for sowing. Slovakia has also introduced a ban that will apply to the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds. Unlike Hungary and Poland, Bratislava indicated the duration of the embargo – at least until the end of 2023. The Romanian authorities have not yet announced their decision on this issue. Previously, the country’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin Barbu, advocated extending the import ban.