Ukraine welcomes Baltic push to ban Russian grain transit through EU

On October 11, Ukraine's Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi commended Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia's prime ministers for initiating an EU effort to prohibit Russia from exporting grain through the European Union. Vysotskyi acknowledged the Baltic partners for their unwavering support of Ukraine in a post on X. Lithuania's Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius had previously urged the EU to impose sanctions on Russian grain and halt its transit on October 8, which was followed by a joint letter from the three Baltic prime ministers.

This letter calls upon the EU to take further action to curb grain exported from occupied territories through the EU, ban Russian grain from passing through EU territory, and strengthen the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes to aid Kyiv in exporting more grain. The Russian blockade of the Black Sea is adversely affecting Ukraine's ability to generate tax revenue from agricultural exports, driving up global grain prices, and jeopardizing countries in North Africa and the Middle East that heavily rely on Ukrainian exports.

The EU's response to this potential ban is uncertain, but the three Baltic prime ministers will participate in a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on October 14, with President Volodymyr Zelensky also expected to attend. Vysotskyi is also scheduled to attend a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Luxembourg on October 26.