Warsaw and Bucharest refuse Kyiv's request to expand logistics for grain exports

The governments of Poland and Romania have refused Ukraine's request to expand transit capabilities for grain exports. This decision was made against the backdrop of the ongoing blockade of the Black Sea, which complicates traditional routes for exporting agricultural products.

Kyiv sought financial support and logistics expansion

According to Politico, the Ukrainian side had appealed to European Union countries to create additional export channels and allocate €1.1 billion to cover rising transport costs.

Ukraine's Minister of Agrarian Policy Taras Vysotskyi noted that the current infrastructure — railways, roads, and river routes — allows for the export of less than half of the required volume of produce.

Risks for the next harvest

According to estimates by the Ukrainian government, if the logistics situation does not improve, up to 35 million tonnes of grain may remain in the country this year.

Vysotskyi warned that financial difficulties in the agricultural sector would have consequences for the next season. "Якщо становище справ збережеться до весни, посівні площі можуть скоротитися на 35–40 %" (If the situation persists until spring, sowing areas may shrink by 35–40%), the minister emphasised.

Arguments from neighbouring countries

In Romania, it was emphasised that the priority remains the protection of local farmers' interests. Agriculture Minister Barna Tanjoş explained the impossibility of implementing Kyiv's proposal:

«Ми не можемо подвоїти кількість поїздів, доріг, залізниць та портових потужностей. Є те, що є» (We cannot double the number of trains, roads, railways, and port capacities. There is what there is).

Poland's Ministry of Infrastructure also officially confirmed that it does not plan to implement changes aimed at increasing the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products through its territory.