Ukraine needs assistance exporting its agricultural goods because Russia has blocked the ports it uses to send them abroad, the European Commission argued on Thursday as it pushed relief plans to help get Kiev's economy back on its feet.
"Twenty million tons of grain have to leave Ukraine in less than three months," EU Transport Commissioner Adina Valean said on Thursday, to free up storage facilities needed for the next harvests.
According to the commission, 90% of Ukrainian grain and oil seeds exports used to leave the country through Black Sea ports, which are now blocked by Russia.
The commission is therefore calling on private and state actors to make more vehicles available and to set up a logistics platform to coordinate processes.
Food exports from Ukraine should be prioritized. EU countries are urged to provide customs and other actors with sufficient staff and to "apply maximum flexibility," the commission said in a statement.
Export by land faces several obstacles, as many trucks in the region are already used to deliver humanitarian goods and different track widths hinder exports by rail.
"Thousands of wagons packed with grain are still waiting at Ukraine's borders with Poland and Romania," Valean said, with an average waiting time of 16 days, in some cases up to 30 days.
Ukrainian grain exports play a crucial role in global food supplies.
Before the war, Ukraine's exports were destined for Europe, China and Africa, with a third going to each, according to the commission.
