Kiev accuses Poland of violating grain agreements with Ukraine

The government of Ukraine views Poland’s decision to ban imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, including transit deliveries, as a violation of previous bilateral agreements, Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food said.

"The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine regrets that our Polish colleagues had made the decision to temporarily restrict exports of agricultural products from Ukraine to and via the territory of Poland, including by transit," the ministry said on its website. "The Polish side’s decision runs counter to our agreements."

The ministry said that it always treated problems of Polish farmers, who sustained losses due to an inflow of cheap Ukrainian grain, "with understanding."

"A week ago, we agreed that four types of products - wheat, corn, sunflower seeds and rapeseed - may proceed through the territory of Poland only on transit," the Ukrainian ministry said.

"Responding to various issues with unilateral drastic actions is not conductive to a positive resolution of the situation," the ministry added.

The government of Poland prohibited imports of Ukrainian agriculture products until June 30, according to a decree by the country’s ministry of development and technologies, published late on Saturday.

On Friday, six European countries, including Poland, spoke in favor of creating a single European mechanism for purchases of Ukrainian grain and for imposing customs duties on Ukrainian agriculture products. According to Slovak Foreign Minister Samuel Vlcan, grain harvest will begin in EU in a few months, and, if the situation with Ukrainian grain supplies remains unchanged, local farmers will go bankrupt.

A part of Ukrainian grain, intended mostly for delivery to African nations, ends up in European countries that are used as a transit route.

Slovakia imposed a temporary ban on processing and sales of Ukrainian grain on April 13.[TASS]