Poland is actively seeking an extension of the European Union's ban on Ukrainian grain imports beyond the current deadline of September 15. Additionally, Poland is proposing that the EU

imposes an embargo on the import of honey and raspberries from Ukraine, as revealed by the Polish Agriculture Minister, Robert Telus.

Minister Telus made this announcement during a meeting of EU agriculture ministers held in Cordoba, Spain, as reported by the Polish state news agency PAP.

On the sidelines of the meeting, ministers from five EU countries neighboring Ukraine, including Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary, engaged in discussions regarding the import of Ukrainian grain. Following these discussions, Minister Telus informed reporters that they explored strategies to safeguard the interests of farmers both within their respective countries and across the EU.

Poland is advocating for an extension of the EU ban on Ukrainian grain imports to encompass its five neighboring EU countries beyond the existing deadline of September 15. Minister Telus further revealed, "The Polish government has proposed to extend the list of banned products to include raspberries and honey, for instance."

The Polish Agriculture Minister emphasized that the five EU member states unanimously support the transit of Ukrainian grain and are urging the EU to provide financial support for this endeavor, asserting that it would be advantageous for the entire bloc.

In discussions with reporters, Minister Telus noted that he had engaged in various bilateral meetings, including discussions with his French counterpart, regarding the necessity of extending the grain embargo. He highlighted, "EU ministers realize that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is weaponizing food. But the final decision rests with the president of the European Commission."

Minister Telus assured that the Polish government would staunchly protect the interests of domestic farmers and categorically stated, "We won't allow the import of grain from Ukraine to Poland."

The European Commission had initially introduced the ban on Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed, sunflower, and sunflower oil imports from Ukraine to the five countries (Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia) in May. This action was taken based on an agreement with these nations, and the embargo was initially set to expire on June 5 but was later extended until September 15. It's noteworthy that the transit of Ukrainian grain through these five countries, particularly those located near conflict areas, remains permitted.

In July, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that Poland would not reopen its borders to Ukrainian grain when the EU ban concludes on September 15. Minister Telus previously conveyed that the five EU neighbors of Ukraine aimed to extend the embargo, possibly until the end of the year, according to reports by the PAP news agency. Photo by Siona Karen, Wikimedia commons.