Hungary and Poland announced Saturday that they would halt imports of Ukrainian grain, which has been clogging up their warehouses despite EU promises to send it to poorer countries. They were later joined by Slovakia.
The list published in the Hungarian government’s official journal, Magyar Kozlony, also features beef, pork, goat meat, mutton, poultry, eggs, honey, fresh and canned fruit, sugar, flour, bread and pastry, wine and must for wine-making.
Sandor Farkas, state secretary at the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, warned on Monday that Hungary could extend the ban beyond the June 30 deadline if the European Union did not protect EU farmers.
The European Commission has criticized this unilateral action. Germany, whose former defense minister now heads the EU's executive in Brussels, slammed Poland for undermining EU solidarity with Ukraine and urged Warsaw to prioritize European cohesion.