Poland backs down just days after announcing it would halt grain imports from Ukraine.
Talks between Poland and Ukraine on the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain and agricultural products into Poland were completed on Tuesday, with Poland agreeing that grain transit from Ukraine would resume.
Over the last few days, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia announced they were halting all grain transports from Ukraine, along with a range of other food items. Now, Poland is the first country to step back from its position, which was harshly criticized by the European Union.
Polish Minister for Agriculture Robert Telus said at a press conference with Ukrainian ministers that the “EU had closed its eyes to the problem of large grain imports into Poland.”
Telus also said that Poland had been in continuous contact with Ukraine to facilitate transit as long as it could be guaranteed that the grain would not remain in Poland. He was relieved that an agreement had been struck and that “not a single ton of Ukrainian grain will remain in Poland.”