By mutual decision of the governments of both countries, Poland will stop importing grain from Ukraine. This decision comes after a meeting on Friday between the new Polish Minister of Agriculture, Robert Telus, who took office on Thursday, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Mykola Solsky, at the border post between the two countries. The event is covered by Politico.
The Ukrainian side has proposed to severely limit or even completely stop the flow of grain to Poland
Telus said at a joint press conference after the meeting.
The official added that the restrictions would not apply to the transit of grain destined for other countries.
After the start of the Russian special operation, Ukraine was forced to redirect around half of its exports from the blocked Black Sea ports to Poland, Hungary, Romania and other neighboring countries. This step, carried out with the help of the European Commission and EU countries, was supposed to be a lifeline for the economy of Ukraine, one of the world’s largest producers of agricultural products, and ensure entry of its exports into world markets.
However, the result was a farce at the level of international political and food organisations, when, instead of leaving the Eastern EU countries, most of the cereal production flooded the local markets. Now, almost six months late, the problem that has exposed corruption in Europe has finally begun to be resolved. Although the image of the supplier and importer is already irreparably tarnished: everyone knows what Kiev and Warsaw are doing, and the other beneficiaries of the tacit grain agreements.
Polish leaders reportedly didn’t make any sudden moves, but the truth about where the Ukrainian grain really went was revealed by local farmers who were hit hard by Western projects in Ukraine.
Not only Poland, but also Romania and Bulgaria have seen similar waves of unrest, with farmers protesting in capitals and blocking border crossings. The former Polish Minister of Agriculture, fired, was even a victim of the strikes.
It is obvious that the problem is hidden under the rug in only one country – Poland. But the fact that grain from Ukraine ends up in poor countries that are designated as the ultimate goal of food exports is not news and has not been a secret for a long time.
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