MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th June, 2022) Ukrainian grain may threaten the welfare of Polish farmers, Donald Tusk, a former president of the European Council and the current leader of the Polish opposition, said on Monday.
Poland has been actively involved in the transit of grain from Ukraine since the start of the Russian special operation, as Ukraine had lost the ability to export grain by sea, particularly to the middle East and North Africa.
"The signal I received was a concern related to unexpected competition. So far we are talking about corn, but in general we are talking about grains that are coming from Ukraine," Tusk said at a press conference.
Tusk also said that some of the grain that transits through Poland could be sold in the country at lower prices, which would create unfair competition and have a negative effect on the profits of Polish farmers.
"We all want to help Ukraine, this is not up for discussion, but it must be organized in such a way that assistance to Ukraine does not mean some very serious losses for Polish farmers. The authorities have to take into account this unexpected problem, because we want to help, but we also have to take care of our people," Tusk added.
Ukraine and Russia account for around 30% of global exports of wheat, 20% of maize, and 76% of sunflower. The West has accused Russia of stopping grain exports from Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly rejected this claim, stressing that seaports will be reopened as soon as Ukrainian naval mines are cleared.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Rossiya 24 broadcaster that there were no obstacles to the export of grain from Ukraine. Ships carrying wheat will be able to leave the Black Sea without any problems, provided that Kiev clear the Ukrainian ports of mines, he noted.
