Warsaw: Russia is using grain as ammunition, Polish agriculture minister Robert Telus said on Tuesday after the collapse of a U.N.-brokered deal that allowed Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea.
Telus urged the European Union to help improve grain logistics as more Ukrainian shipments will start flowing through borders after the harvest.
“Surely Russia uses grain as ammunition, this time it is happening again,” Telus told Reuters.
Farmers in Poland and other nations bordering Ukraine came under pressure from Ukrainian grain this year, pushing Warsaw to close its border for imports. As result Brussels agreed to halt imports of Ukrainian grain through the borders of Ukraine’s neighbors, allowing only shipments in transit.
Telus said Warsaw was ready to improve the transit of grain through its border but said the flow will not increase immediately.
“We are willing to make transit even more efficient. Harvest has just started but later on the flow will certainly increase. We have to force the EU to help improve infrastructure,” he said.
Telus, who will meet his counterparts from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova on Wednesday, said Warsaw would push for an extension of the embargo on Ukrainian grain imports beyond Sept. 15.
(Reporting by Marek Strzelecki; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.
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