EU nations seek to end Ukraine farm import standoff

BRUSSELS (AP) — Hoping to maintain a unified stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine, the European Union on Tuesday looked for a way to satisfy the concerns of member nations facing a destabilizing glut of Ukrainian farm exports.

The 27-nation EU lifted agricultural import restrictions last year to help Ukraine get its vast grain supplies to world markets amid a Russian blockade. Eastern European nations like Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia have since reported being flooded with imported products.

To protect their farmers, the countries unilaterally banned Ukrainian farm imports for their national markets. The moves went against the principle that the EU sets trade policy for all 27 nations and could give the impression that the bloc is fighting internally instead of facing Russia jointly.

“We are really, really afraid of the consequences of these unilateral restrictions. And Finland sees that this restrictions can call into question unity in support of Ukraine,” Finnish Agriculture and Forestry Minister Antti Kurvinen said.