This month Poland announced it was shutting off imports of most types of Ukrainian foods; many in central Europe all but followed suit, despite protests from Kyiv
But it seems the friendship may have limits after all. European politicians have found a constituency even dearer to them than Ukrainians: their own farmers. On April 15th Poland announced it was shutting off imports of most types of Ukrainian foods; many in central Europe all but followed suit, despite protests from Kyiv. The move undoes much of the trade largesse extended to the’s embattled neighbour last spring.
The extent of the strain in Euro-Ukrainian solidarity is still unclear. A few days after the original blockade was imposed, a deal was struck that allowed produce to cross into Poland as long as it was merely transiting there . The European Commission in Brussels has tried to defuse the situation by offering money to compensate affected farmers, and finding ways to expedite Ukrainian exports away from markets apparently reserved for local growers.
The prospect of no longer being able to sell staples to its immediate neighbours is bad for Ukraine. Worse still, the other export avenue—a-backed scheme to allow ships to transit through the Black Sea—depends on Russian acquiescence which may no longer be forthcoming from next month. Most worrying of all is the mood shift the spat has revealed.
Weapons and money will continue to flow, refugees will still be hosted, and more sanctions against Russia are being mulled. Less clear are Ukraine’s prospects for closer ties with the—including, one day, accession. The countries that blockaded Ukrainian grain have been among Kyiv’s most strident allies, notably Poland.
The central Europeans’ pitch has been an emotional one: Ukrainians are fighting for the entire continent’s freedom, and so should not have to go through the years-long box-ticking exercise that applicants to theusually endure. Western Europeans have made the point that Ukrainian accession will come at a cost. Much of the’s budget is spent on farm subsidies or structural funds that go largely to poorer countries.
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