Kuleba calls on neighbors not to hold Ukrainian grain export hostage to domestic politics

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said this during a press conference with his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavský in Prague on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The Minister reminded: the restrictions are expected to be lifted on September 15, their validity period will end. However, the voices of a group of neighboring countries are being heard: if it comes to that, they will introduce their own national restrictions.

"We are absolutely and categorically against this," the Ukrainian politician emphasized.

He explained that such a step would violate the principles of the internal market, it would contradict the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and, above all, this step was against the principle of EU solidarity on which this organization is based.

Kuleba called on the relevant countries "not to hold the issue of grain export hostage to the processes of their domestic politics."

At the same time, Ukraine’s top diplomat assured that Kyiv was ready to work with those countries in search of a solution to the problem and sincerely hoped to avoid the conflict. Kuleba emphasized that Ukraine was extremely grateful for the humanitarian and security assistance provided to our country, but he stressed that if those countries continued to act in this way in this matter, they would leave Ukraine "no other option than to resolutely defend its rights and the rights of Ukrainian farmers."

As reported, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia asked the European Union to ban the import of Ukrainian grain, which expires on September 15, at least until the end of the year "to avoid serious disruptions in the market." The countries asked to ban the import of four Ukrainian products — wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seed. At the same time, transit supplies continue.