On August 4, Warsaw submitted to the European Union (EU) a request for infrastructure investment worth 1 billion euros to support the export of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine across the Polish-Ukrainian border.
Farmers harvest wheat in Mykolaiv, Ukraine
Poland has previously warned that it will close its borders to Ukrainian agricultural products if the EU does not extend restrictions on imports of these products from its neighbor.
According to Poland's proposal, 500 million euros would be used to expand existing border crossings for trucks as well as railway infrastructure in the eastern city of Przemysl. Meanwhile, the remaining 500 million euros would be used to modernize railway border crossings between Poland and Ukraine, build border crossing points for trucks and build customs checkpoints.
Polish Ambassador to the EU Andrzej Sados confirmed the information, adding that Poland wants to increase the shipment of Ukrainian grain to third countries, especially Africa, in the next year and a half. However, Ambassador Sados stressed that Poland also needs investments to improve its infrastructure capacity. According to Polish news agency PAP, the amount of wheat and corn from Ukraine transiting through Poland reached record levels in May and June.
Earlier, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen announced EU funds to support Ukrainian agricultural exports across the Polish border, but no details were given.
On August 3, Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus announced that in case the EC does not extend the restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports after September 15, Poland will close its borders and some frontline countries will also take similar actions with Ukrainian agricultural products.
According to VNA