Zelensky asks the EU for restrictions on Russian grain and more ammunition for Ukraine

Giving Russian grain unlimited access to the European market, while imports from Ukraine are restricted, is "unfair".
This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the summit of EU leaders in Brussels.
"Russia's access to the European agricultural market is still unlimited," Zelensky emphasized via video link, AFP reported.
"While Ukrainian grain is thrown on the roads or railway tracks, Russian products are still being transported to Europe, as well as goods from the Vladimir Putin-controlled state of Belarus - this is not fair," the Ukrainian leader added.
He also stressed that it was crucial to send more ammunition to the Ukrainian troops at the front.
"Unfortunately, the use of front-line artillery by our soldiers is humiliating for Europe in the sense that Europe can provide much more - and it is crucial to prove it now," Zelensky noted.
On March 20, EU member states and MPs reached an agreement to limit duty-free imports of a number of Ukrainian agricultural goods. Under World Trade Organization rules, Russian imports of agricultural products have so far been exempt from EU import duties.
While the EU has imposed sanctions on huge swaths of the Russian economy since 2022, it has been careful not to target the agricultural or fertilizer sectors for fear of destabilizing the global grain market and undermining food security in Asia and Africa.
But in a potentially significant twist, the European Commission said last week it was considering imposing restrictions on Russian agricultural imports. Diplomats indicated that the proposal could be tabled as early as this week.
Five European Union countries - Poland, the Czech Republic and the three Baltic states - have called on the bloc to impose a total ban on grain imports from both Russia and its ally Belarus.
"As members of the EU, we believe it is imperative to fulfill our moral obligation to stop any trade activities that could potentially support" Russia and Belarus, the countries' agriculture ministers said in a joint letter.
Brussels initially dropped tariffs on Ukrainian imports in an attempt to help keep the country's economy afloat after the Russian invasion.
Two years into the conflict, EU farmers are complaining that their produce is being undercut by cheaper imports from Ukraine, and the issue has sparked angry protests across the bloc.
In his address to the leaders, Zelensky warned that limiting trade with Ukraine undermines "his country's ability to resist Russian aggression."
"Any loss in trade is a loss of a resource that holds Russia back," he said. /BGNES