Ukraine slams EU’s rhetoric on grain exports amid looming restrictions

“The truth is, this whole debate between the European Union and Ukraine is steeped in emotion, especially in countries like Poland and France, and the actual essence of the issue is getting lost,” Lissitsa said.

“Ukraine hasn’t harmed any of those farmers in the way they claim. Global grain prices aren’t set in Germany or Poland — they’re determined on the world market. If you look at the prices that apply in the EU for sugar and sugar beets, Ukraine has actually helped European consumers by providing a huge supply of sugar at low prices.”

“In doing so, we stabilized the European market,” he added.

“Sugar beet prices inside the EU have in some cases jumped by 300% over the past few years. And yet you hear Polish ministers and farmers claiming that Ukrainian sugar has flooded Europe and ruined everything — those are just emotions, not facts.”

Earlier reports indicated that the EU is preparing to impose significantly higher tariffs on Ukrainian imports in the coming weeks, a move that would hit Kyiv’s wartime economy at a critical moment in its struggle against Russian aggression.

The European Commission’s transition measure reportedly involves dividing the annual tariff-free quota into 12 monthly segments in order to restrict inflows during ongoing negotiations.

The hardest-hit products are expected to be corn, sugar, honey, and poultry.