Key facts
- Ukraine's Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi thanked Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia on Oct. 11 for advancing an EU ban on Russian grain transit.
- The Baltic prime ministers called for the EU to ban Russian grain transit and prevent exports of stolen grain on Oct. 8.
- The Baltic prime ministers sent a joint letter to the EU on Oct. 9 to place the issue on the bloc's agenda.
- The letter urges the EU to bolster solidarity lanes to help Ukraine export grain.
- Ukraine's ability to collect tax revenue from agricultural exports is hampered by a Russian Black Sea blockade.
Ukraine's Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi expressed gratitude on October 11 to the prime ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia for their initiative to ban Russian grain transit through the European Union. Vysotskyi stated on X that it was important for the initiative to be advanced at the EU level and thanked the Baltic nations for their consistent support.
Lithuania's Prime Minister Mindauga Sinkevicius had called for EU sanctions on Russian grain and a transit ban on October 8. This was followed by a joint letter from the three Baltic prime ministers the next day, urging the EU to place the matter on its agenda. The letter calls on the bloc to enhance measures to prevent grain stolen from occupied territories from being exported via the EU, to ban Russian grain transit, and to further strengthen EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes to aid Kyiv's grain exports.
The letter emphasizes that the EU should not serve as a conduit for Russia to offset economic consequences of its aggression. A Russian blockade of the Black Sea is reportedly impacting Ukraine's ability to collect tax revenue from agricultural exports, contributing to rising global grain prices and endangering countries heavily reliant on Ukrainian exports, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East.
The timeline for potential agreement and implementation of such a ban remains uncertain. However, the three Baltic prime ministers are scheduled to attend a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on October 14, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to be present. Additionally, Vysotskyi is slated to attend a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Luxembourg on October 26.