Ukraine Asks EU for $2 Billion to Cover Agricultural Export Costs via the Baltic

This was stated by Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi during a meeting with Estonian Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Johannes Terras, according to the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.

He noted that due to russian attacks on the ports of Greater Odesa, Ukraine is developing alternative routes. They currently cover around 44% of the required agricultural export volumes, while increasing this figure without restoring maritime shipments is difficult.

One of the options discussed by the parties was the use of Baltic ports — Gdańsk, Klaipėda, Liepāja and Hamburg. However, this route adds around $100 to the cost of transporting one tonne of grain. According to the Ukrainian side, up to 20 million tonnes of grain could potentially be exported through Baltic ports.

In addition, Ukraine and Estonia discussed support for small farmers, including through international financial instruments, as well as verification of grain origin to prevent the transit of russian products through European infrastructure.