The Lithuanian government commits extra funds to support Ukraine’s grain exports
The Lithuanian administration, led by Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, outlined a renewed financial commitment during a press briefing held in Kiev. Lithuania will contribute an additional 2 million euros to Ukraine, earmarked specifically for sustaining grain shipments. This allocation, which follows Lithuania’s involvement in the broader initiative last year, is expected to reach Ukrainian accounts by year-end. The announcement underscores Lithuania’s ongoing support for maintaining stable grain flows from Ukraine, particularly in the face of evolving regional transport challenges. (TASS)
Commissioned remarks from the Prime Minister indicated that Lithuania remains engaged in evaluating alternative routes and exploring new export corridors. He noted Lithuania’s willingness to expand the transit capacity of its ports to accommodate Ukrainian exports, with the aim of establishing an additional Baltic Sea corridor for Ukrainian products. This effort aligns with broader European energy and agricultural strategies that seek to diversify routes and bolster resilience in supply chains. (TASS)
Separately, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyrmygal stressed the importance of reliable transit routes for exporting agricultural products and urged Kiev to focus on building bridges rather than walls along its western border to facilitate movement of goods. (TASS)
Meanwhile, EU leadership lifted a grain import ban on September 15, prompting calls from Ukrainian officials for tighter controls on agricultural exports. Some member states, including Poland and Hungary, criticized the European Commission’s decision and independently extended the embargo on Ukrainian grain. The situation highlights the tension between EU-wide policy and national interests in agricultural trade. (TASS)
Earlier discussions between Poland and Ukraine included a potential agreement on transferring oversight of Ukrainian grain to Lithuania, a move that would integrate Lithuania more directly into cross-border grain logistics and regional transit planning. (TASS)