EU is late in imposing sanctions against agricultural products from Russia and Belarus – Polish Ambassador to Ukraine

Poland and the European Union have begun discussing the imposition of sanctions against agricultural products from Russia and Belarus, but the corresponding restriction should have been introduced earlier. This was stated by Polish Ambassador to Ukraine Jaroslaw Guzy, DW reports.

The diplomat recalled that Latvia was forced to close its border to imports from Russia because it was “flooded” with Russian goods. According to him, the Polish government has made it clear that the decision to ban agricultural products from Russia will be made.

The ambassador emphasized that the ban is necessary for the entire European market, as demanding restrictions from Ukraine while allowing free imports from Russia could cause a scandal. The official also noted that the blockade of the border by Polish farmers does not affect military transportation.

This is a strange situation. The European Union has excluded the Russian and Belarusian agricultural sectors from sanctions. Basically, it believed that these exports are directed to the countries of the so-called Global South, to world markets, and that blocking these exports with sanctions would be to the detriment of countries that are important in terms of their views on what is happening with Russian aggression in Ukraine. So it was a political decision, so to speak. As for the Russian factor, again, the reaction was too late,” noted Yaroslav Guzy.

Tags: Russia, grain, EU, restrictions