Taras Kachka: Ukraine is ready for trade restrictions with the EU to reconcile with Poland

Ukraine is ready to impose restrictions on trade with the EU to defuse the political dispute with Poland, but at the same time calls on the bloc to ban imports of Russian grain.  This was stated by Taras Kachka, Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative of Ukraine, in an interview with the Financial Times, UNN reports. 

Details 

Kachka said that Kyiv favors new restrictions on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, although the EU also needs to ban exports of Russian goods that still enter the bloc through Belarus and the Baltic states.

"Perhaps for the transition period, such a... managed approach to trade flows between Ukraine and the EU is what we all need," Kachka said. 

However, he added: "As for wheat, it is not Ukraine that creates problems for Polish farmers, but Russia.

Kachka said Moscow was "definitely" behind last month's attack by Polish farmers on a train carrying Ukrainian grain, which they managed to overturn and spill the cargo. the Russians "are involved in cases of vandalism or sabotage that could be seen as hostile to Ukraine as a whole," he said.

Kachka said Kyiv supports Brussels' proposed measures to impose import restrictions on eggs, poultry and sugar starting in June and to allow individual countries to close their markets to Ukrainian grain, except for transit to other countries.

He acknowledged that Ukraine's sugar production increased from 7,000 to 500,000 tons between 2022 and last year. 

As the newspaper notes, Kyiv has also recently agreed to redirect corn exports to Italy and Spain via the Black Sea rather than by road through neighboring countries to ease tensions. 

"We have voluntarily stopped exporting corn to all five neighboring member states. Despite this, we exported another record 15 million tons of corn in calendar year 2023. So, we have a great demand in other countries. Ukraine has filled the gaps in EU production," said Kachka.

Recall

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk threatens to tighten the embargo on Ukrainian food productsif the EU does not find a compromise to protect Polish farmers.