Ukraine has asked the European Union and other international partners to provide $1.5–2 billion to compensate for additional costs associated with exporting grain through Baltic ports.
Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi said this during a meeting with Estonian Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Johannes Terras, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
Vysotskyi said that because of Russian attacks on the ports of Odessa region, Ukraine is developing alternative export routes. These currently provide around 44% of the capacity needed to export agricultural products, while significantly increasing this share without restoring maritime shipments remains difficult.
One possible solution discussed by the two sides is the use of Baltic ports, including Gdańsk, Klaipėda, Liepāja and Hamburg. However, this route increases the cost of transporting grain by approximately $100 per tonne.
According to Ukrainian estimates, up to 20 million tonnes of grain could potentially be exported through Baltic ports.
Ukraine and Estonia also discussed support for small farmers, including through international financial instruments, as well as measures to verify the origin of grain in order to prevent Russian products from transiting through European infrastructure.
