Dombrovskis addresses trade issues, sanctions on Russia, and ongoing dialogue with EU farmers and Ukrainian authorities.
Executive Vice President of European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis has asked “Poland has banned imports of Ukrainian grain. So what are Polish farmers protesting against?”
Against the backdrop of the largest trade problem between Ukraine and Poland, before the start of official negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU, Kyiv was seen by an extremely high-ranking guest – the Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis.
He has conveyed good news to Kyiv. During a joint briefing with Denys Shmygal, he stressed that Europe is standing by Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression and delivers comprehensive support. He has told to media how much money Ukraine will receive under the Ukraine Facility financing agenda during this month and what it the future. In addition, the European official reminded that next week the European Commission will present a framework for Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.
Further, he said, Indeed, it is true that Europe is now facing farmer protests in some EU countries. And “I’ll say that the focus of these protests varies from country to country. Like in Poland, the focus is on Ukrainian grain and Ukrainian food products. In Latvia, for example, the emphasis is on Russian grain. In Germany, the focus is on the additional burden from the European Green Deal and the overall organizational burden. In France, the focus is also on EU trade agreements. And so on.”
He contended that At the end of the day, “we” see that there’s quite a bit of turmoil and correspondingly “we” are now engaged with farmers in a strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture in the EU. He stressed that auditories will take some short-term measures to alleviate certain elements of administrative burdens stemming from the European Green Deal.
So all this work now is ongoing. And “we’re” in constant contact with both Polish and Ukrainian authorities. That was a topic of “our” discussions today with the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, and with the Verkhovna Rada.
The Executive Vice President of the European Commission was also asked regarding the sanction on Russia. He mentioned that 13 sanctions packages against Russia had been enacted and emphasized the importance of ensuring their implementation. He noted that while the EU, US, and other countries had imposed sanctions, some countries like China and India had not.
Engagements with concerned countries were ongoing, with a dedicated sanctions envoy coordinating closely with the US to prevent evasion. Steps had been observed from countries like Turkey and Central Asian nations, but less engagement was noted from China.
The responsibility for EU companies engaging in sanctions circumvention and the blacklisting of third-country companies involved in such activities were also highlighted. Discussions prioritized high-priority battlefield items like microchips found in Russian equipment in Ukrainian battlefields, which are manufactured in the West.
