Von der Leyen: Ukraine needs help with exporting products to global markets

Europe should help Kyiv export Ukrainian agricultural products to global markets.

This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during a joint press conference with the head of the Polish government Donald Tusk and the Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander de Kroo in Warsaw on Friday.

As the head of the European Commission emphasized, the EU is closely monitoring the situation in Poland on the border with Ukraine. According to her, this has resulted in a decision on plans to amend the EU-Ukraine transport agreement.

“We have fully taken into account Polish concerns. Today, Ukraine’s exports through the Black Sea have increased, and this is good because it relieves the land border. Now we have to focus on helping Ukraine, on restoring its exports to the whole world,” von der Leyen said.

According to her, the EU supports Polish farmers, in particular by offering them 22 billion euros from the Common Agricultural Policy Fund. She said that the first tranche of EUR 1.4 billion for Polish farmers to help them modernize their products and enter new markets will be available soon.

As reported, Polish farmers are holding a general strike across Poland, blocking roads, key communication hubs and checkpoints on the border with Ukraine in about 200 locations across the country. The main demands of the protesters are a ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products and Poland’s rejection of the European Green Deal.

Tags: Ukraine, export, EU, Poland