Ukrainian grain will not come to Poland says agriculture minister

The Polish agriculture minister has said there will be no Ukrainian grain in Poland because the interests of the country’s farmers come first.

Robert Telus's comments followed news that an EU embargo on Ukrainian grain entering five member states - Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia - would not be extended by the European Commission after it expired on Friday.

Poland's prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said on Friday that Warsaw would impose a unilateral ban on Ukrainian grain imports.

"In line with Prime Minister Morawiecki's statement, a regulation will be issued and published today extending the embargo on Ukrainian grain," Telus wrote on X. "In the interests of Polish farmers and consumers, we are introducing national rules."

He went on to tweet that, "we are extending this ban ourselves."

"The interests of Polish farmers are most important to us!" he wrote. "Ukrainian grain will not come to Poland!"

On Wednesday, Telus said that under the prevailing conditions, "Ukraine cannot join the European Union because that will harm Polish agriculture".

He added that instruments must be created to ensure that Ukrainian agricultural products are exported to beyond the EU.