Poland's hard line: in addition to the purchase, the transit of goods from Kiev was also prevented

Strongly hostile countries like Russia and Poland both appear to be conspiring against Ukraine. After the ban on imports of Ukrainian wheat, ordered by the Polish and Hungarian governments, Slovakia has also imposed a similar blockade, but now the main scene of the drama shifts once again to Moscow.

According to what was announced via Twitter by the European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, the Russian government would have blocked fifty ships loaded with Ukrainian cereals destined for North Africa in the ports of the Black Sea. An operation that significantly jeopardizes the possibility of renewing the agreement with Moscow for the export of Ukrainian wheat to the world. "Those deliveries are urgent - declares Borrell - the EU will continue to work to bring Ukrainian wheat to the world". As for the prospects for renewing the agreement, the crux remains the export of Russian cereals and fertilizers which, according to the Kremlin, would effectively be prevented.

Poland, which even if geopolitically presents itself as Kiev's most solid ally, is at the same time the fiercest opponent of Ukrainian agri-food exports. The new Polish Minister of Agriculture, Robert Telus reiterated that, in addition to cereals, the blockade involves poultry, animal feed, dairy products, fruit and sunflower seeds. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the historical leader of Pis, the majority party, reaffirmed the position of the entire Warsaw government, emphasizing the "moment of crisis" currently going through Polish agriculture.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government is trying everything to save the wheat deal. Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov will meet in Ankara with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar in the hope that Turkey will confirm its role as mediator with Moscow.

"The necessary first step must be to allow Ukrainian wheat to transit through Poland. A step to be taken without setting conditions", declared the Ukrainian Agriculture Minister, Mykola Solsky, at the end of the first talks held in Poland. A Polish-Ukrainian agreement seems difficult to materialise, since Warsaw not only opposes the importation of Ukrainian goods but also their transit.

The only country in the Visegrad group that has no plans to ban imports from Ukraine is the Czech Republic. From Prague, Agriculture Minister Zdeněk Nekula said: “Unilateral bans by individual countries will solve nothing. We must find an agreement throughout the EU on the rules for the transit of agricultural products from Ukraine to European ports and to ensure that production continues to be destined for non-EU countries that depend on Ukrainian production”.