Ukraine Files WTO Case Against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia

Ukraine has filed a lawsuit against Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia over their unilateral bans on grain exports, which Ukraine considers a "violation of its international commitments."

This was reported by Euronews.

"For us, it is crucial to prove that individual member countries cannot prohibit the import of Ukrainian goods. That's why we are filing lawsuits against them," said Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

"At the same time, we hope that these countries will lift their restrictions, and we won't have to resolve this issue in court for too long. We need solidarity with them and protection for our farmers' interests."

Svyrydenko noted that Ukrainian traders are already suffering from additional transportation costs and difficulties in fulfilling foreign contracts. "Unilateral actions by EU member states in trade are unacceptable," the statement said.

The lawsuit, filed with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Monday evening, aims to initiate "consultations" with the three Eastern European countries, the minister said.

This news comes three days after the European Commission reached an agreement with Kyiv and lifted temporary restrictions it had imposed on Ukrainian grain.

The bans were first implemented on May 2 and affected five EU countries located near Ukraine: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria. These countries argued that the unexpected influx of duty-free and cheap Ukrainian grain had lowered prices for local farmers and caused economic disruption.

According to the restrictions, four Ukrainian agricultural products—wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower—were allowed transit through the five Eastern European countries but could not remain on their markets for domestic consumption or storage.

Kyiv had repeatedly condemned these bans as contrary to the spirit of European solidarity, which has been extended to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale war. Several EU member states, including Germany, France, and the Netherlands, expressed "serious concern" over the temporary measures and their detrimental impact on the single market.

Just hours before the September 15 deadline, the Commission announced the agreement, which immediately lifted the bans. In return, Kyiv committed to strengthening trade controls and avoiding sudden spikes in agricultural product prices.

However, this decision did not satisfy Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia, which quickly announced their intentions to introduce nationwide bans unilaterally.