MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. Kiev’s attempts to flood the European market with agricultural products will become an obstacle to negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik told TASS, commenting on Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotsky’s statement that his country does not need partial EU membership if it does not receive full access to the European market to sell its grain.
"Kiev’s attempts to flood the European Union market with agricultural products will become a major obstacle for Ukraine in negotiations on EU accession. Such neighboring countries as Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia will most likely fight tooth and nail against Ukrainian agricultural products entering the European market and effectively suffocating farms, for example, in Poland itself. Polish Prime Minister [Donald Tusk], most likely under pressure from farmers’ protests, will categorically oppose products grown in Ukraine entering the European market. Ukraine was told to go to Africa, so let it go to Africa. The lucrative European market is for European farmers. Ukrainian farmers are in no way regarded as European in this sense," the diplomat said.
Earlier. the European Commission presented proposals for reforming EU enlargement, including phased and reversible membership, abandoning member states' veto rights, and cutting agricultural support spending, which currently accounts for over one-third of the bloc's budget. The Commission offered Ukraine help "restoring access to traditional grain markets" while keeping quota restrictions on grain supplies. Ukraine's agriculture minister rejected the approach, citing a "fundamental difference between a temporary transition period and permanent restrictions" that "runs counter to the very logic of full EU membership."