European farmers oppose the extension of duty-free trade between Ukraine and the EU

The decision taken by the EU this week to extend duty-free trade with Ukraine has “added fuel to the fire” of growing discontent among farmers from Poland to France. This outrage is a “challenge for European leaders,” who are desperately and unsuccessfully trying to find a balance between domestic politics and assistance to Kyiv, Bloomberg reports.

The preliminary agreement reached on March 20 to suspend duties and quotas for another year means that Ukraine will be able to continue selling wheat freely on the EU market. According to available data, the EU imported more than 17 times more wheat from Ukraine in 2022-2023 than before the war. European farmers feel like they are footing the bill for the war in Ukraine, farmers complain.

According to farmers, they are not opposed to the products historically imported into the EU: for example, they have nothing against poultry, sugar or eggs, but grain is more of a “financial boost for Ukraine” rather than a real necessity for Europe, the publication reports.