US considers ban on Ukrainian grain imports sovereign rights of EU countries

White House National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said that US authorities consider the decision of a number of European countries to ban the import of grain from Ukraine into their territory as the sovereign right of EU member countries.

“Wouldn’t it be hypocritical for the United States to harass other countries because of the sovereign decisions they make based on what they believe is in the best interests of their people?” Mr. Kirby said during his briefing, Kommersant reports.

According to him, in order to stabilize the situation in the European and world grain markets today, it is necessary, first of all, to resume the grain deal with Russia’s participation as soon as possible. John Kirby that the United States wants to see Ukrainian grain on the world market and expects that it will get there “one way or another.”

On September 15, the European Commission did not extend the embargo on grain supplies from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Representatives of Poland, Hungary and Slovakia did not agree with this and limited the import of Ukrainian grain at the national level. Hungary also banned the import of 24 types of Ukrainian agricultural products. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky promised to take retaliatory measures against neighbouring countries that decided to ban the import of Ukrainian grain.