Leaders of the Baltic states are calling on the EU to ban the transit of Russian grain

The President of Lithuania and the Prime Ministers of Latvia and Estonia have called on European Union (EU) leaders to ban the transit of Russian grain.

Gitanas Nausėda, Andris Kulbergs and Kristenas Michalas sent a joint letter on Friday to the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen (Ursula von der Leyen). 

“Russia is bombing Ukrainian ports and preventing Ukrainian grain from reaching the global market, yet at the same time it wants to profit by transporting its own grain through the European Union. Our infrastructure must not be used to help Russia finance the war. We must increase pressure on the aggressor and help Ukraine deliver its goods to the global market“ – said K. Michalas in a statement. 

He intends to raise this issue at next week’s EVT meeting.

Representatives of the Lithuanian President confirmed to BNS that such a letter had been sent.    

In the letter, the leaders of the three countries emphasise that by attacking Ukrainian cargo ships, railways and other key trade routes, Russia is seeking to weaken Ukraine’s economy. Meanwhile, Russia is seeking new routes for its grain exports, including via the Baltic Sea.

According to the leaders of the three Baltic states, the EU must not allow Russia to offset the economic consequences it has caused. They also stress that the export of grain stolen from the occupied territories of Ukraine via the EU must be prevented.

In order to support Ukrainian trade, the leaders of the Baltic states are calling for the strengthening of the EU–Ukraine solidarity corridors – transport links established to help Ukrainian goods reach the global market.

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius announced on Thursday that he would also propose that the EU ban the transit of Russian food grains through the Union’s territory and impose sanctions on certain Russian agricultural oligarchs.

As reported by BNS, since the beginning of September, the origin of food grain transiting through Lithuania from Russia and Belarus has been subject to checks.

The State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) has so far taken five samples from two consignments of grain of uncertain origin; their origin is being verified in foreign laboratories, however, as the service informed BNS, no test results have yet been confirmed, and no new samples have been taken.

In 2024, the EU imposed tariffs on grain products from Russia and Belarus in order to halt their import into the EU. However, these tariffs do not completely prevent the transit of grain through the EU to third countries.