Ukraine is preparing a ban on imports of fruits and vegetables from Poland in response to the Polish government’s decision to extend restrictions on Ukrainian goods despite the European Commission’s decision, Taras Kachka, Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative of Ukraine, told Politico.
Kachka explained that this is not just an internal matter of the European Union. It raises a systemic concern – whether international trading partners can believe that the European Commission speaks for the entire EU.
“We will be forced to take retaliatory measures and ban imports of fruits and vegetables from Poland,” Kachka said.
He emphasized that Slovakia simply extended the previous European Commission restrictions until the end of the year, Poland added flour and feed to them, and Hungary banned more than two dozen additional products. At the same time, while Hungary’s additional bans are largely symbolic, as Ukraine does not export much meat to that country, Poland’s restrictions will affect a significant portion of Ukraine’s exports. Therefore, according to Kachka, Ukraine will be forced to respond.