Deal reached in principle to resume Ukraine grain transit with 5 EU countries
The European Commission said on Friday it had reached a deal in principle to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain to resume through five European Union countries that had imposed restrictions.
Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia cited concerns that grain from Ukraine meant to be exported to other countries had ended up in their local markets, which was pushing down prices for local farmers.
European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis tweeted that the EU executive had reached "an agreement in principle" with the five "to address concerns of both farmers in neighbouring EU countries and Ukraine".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had spoken on Friday to Charles Michel, President of the European Council, to raise concerns over what he called a destructive ban on exports of agricultural products.
"This gives the Kremlin dangerous hope, the hope that in our common European home someone's wrong decisions can prevail over common interests," he said in a video address.
The five countries became transit routes for Ukrainian grain that could not be exported through the country's Black Sea ports because of Russia's invasion.
Bottlenecks then trapped millions of tons of grains in countries bordering Ukraine, forcing local farmers to compete with an influx of cheap Ukrainian imports that they said distorted prices and demand.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the deal "preserves both Ukraine's exports capacity so it continues feeding the world, and our farmers' livelihoods".
European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis tweeted that the EU executive had reached "an agreement in principle" with the five "to address concerns of both farmers in neighbouring EU countries and Ukraine".
He said the deal included "safeguard measures" for four products - wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed. He did not provide any further details.
The deal also includes a support package worth 100 million euros ($110.25 million) for local farmers, Dombrovskis said.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had spoken on Friday to Charles Michel, President of the European Council, to raise concerns over what he called a destructive ban on exports of agricultural products.
"This gives the Kremlin dangerous hope, the hope that in our common European home someone's wrong decisions can prevail over common interests," he said in a video address.
The five countries became transit routes for Ukrainian grain that could not be exported through the country's Black Sea ports because of Russia's invasion.
Bottlenecks then trapped millions of tons of grains in countries bordering Ukraine, forcing local farmers to compete with an influx of cheap Ukrainian imports that they said distorted prices and demand.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the deal "preserves both Ukraine's exports capacity so it continues feeding the world, and our farmers' livelihoods".
($1 = 0.9070 euros)
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
