Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia are persistently seeking an extension of the ban on grain imports from Ukraine until the end of the year, citing concerns about potential disruptions to their domestic markets, according to individuals familiar with the matter. These three countries, along with Bulgaria and Romania, currently permit the transit of Ukrainian grain through their territories under an arrangement set to expire on September 15th. Although Bulgaria has expressed concerns, it remained open to discussions during a recent meeting of European Union ambassadors, as reported by sources who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the talks.
Another official indicated that Romania does not intend to impose a unilateral ban. Bulgaria plans to advocate for the extension of the ban on items such as sunflower, unrefined oil, and powdered milk, but not on wheat, as stated by Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev last month.
As the deadline approaches, the urgency to find a solution is mounting. Janusz Wojciechowski, the European Commissioner for Agriculture, supports extending the ban until the end of the year and is proposing subsidies for Ukrainian companies to offset the costs of grain transit through Europe. The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, has not yet made a decision on endorsing the ban extension.
Thirteen EU member states, including France, Germany, and Austria, do not support the extension, according to the sources. Poland and Hungary have also proposed direct financial support to Ukrainian exporters, a suggestion that France opposes.
Ukraine has cautioned that it will challenge any extension of the grain import ban through arbitration. Ukraine has relied on export routes to its EU neighbors after Russia withdrew from a grain agreement that had allowed exports through its Black Sea ports. In April, Poland imposed import restrictions following protests by farmers who were concerned about a surge in grain imports leading to lower prices, a move later followed by four other neighboring states.
These price declines occurred within the context of a broader global downturn, as significant grain harvests in major exporting countries from Russia to Brazil eased concerns about supply disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed his opposition to further restrictions while other countries that process Ukrainian agricultural products profit from logistics and transit.
“We need these funds,” he stated during a video call to the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Bucharest. “For us, it’s a matter of survival against Russian terror.”
Romania has facilitated the transit of over 25 million tons of grain from Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion and aims to double its monthly capacity from the current 2 million tons to 4 million tons, according to President Klaus Iohannis.
