Ukraine sets to sue Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia over bans on Ukrainian agricultural products, Politico cited Ukrainian Trade Representative Taras Kachka as telling in an interview published on Monday.
Restrictions levied by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia to bar domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds while allowing transit of such cargoes for export elsewhere.
Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary declared their restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports on Friday after the executive European Commission chose not to expand its bar on imports into Ukraine’s five EU neighbors.
The Ukraine’s flag is covered with grains in this picture illustration taken on May 9, 2022.
Warsaw, Bratislava, and Budapest state they are working in the interests of their economies and that their actions are planned to protect their farmers from a glut of products.
Politico cited Kachka as saying, “It is vital to prove that these measures are legally wrong. And that’s why we will start legal proceedings tomorrow.”
Kachka informed Politico that Kyiv could also set reciprocal measures on Poland if Warsaw did not decline its additional measures.
Politico cited him as saying that we would be forced to retaliate on the additional products, and would ban the import of fruit and vegetables from Poland.
Ukraine had already said it could seek global arbitration over the restrictions.
The EU permitted its ban to expire on Friday after Ukraine said it would take steps to tighten control of exports to neighboring nations.
Kachka said Ukraine was willing to “take on the accountability to assure that export from Kyiv is not making any tsunami in neighbouring nations” and would set a system of “real time” export licenses for grains.
