Warsaw Welcomes Kyiv Saying WTO Legal Dispute on Hold

Poland on Thursday, Oct. 5, welcomed Ukraine putting on hold its complaint before the World Trade Organization (WTO) over grain exports and called on Kyiv to withdraw it entirely to ease tensions.

After Russia blocked Ukraine's Black Sea ports -- the main route for Ukrainian grain exports -- the European Union lifted customs duties on Ukrainian grains in May 2022 so the commodities could transit to world markets by land via the bloc.

Because of logistical problems however, the grain instead began to pile up in EU states neighbouring Ukraine, driving down local prices.

The EU allowed several countries to impose a temporary embargo on Ukrainian cereals, provided that transit routes remained open.

Brussels ended those restrictions in mid-September and Kyiv pledged to better control its flow of exports.

Poland, Hungary and Slovakia unilaterally extended the ban however, prompting Kyiv to file its WTO lawsuit.

On Thursday Kyiv said the WTO legal disputes were "on hold".

Kyiv's pausing of a complaint before the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is "a necessary step", Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller said on Thursday.

"We look forward to further constructive actions by Ukraine to develop a suitable relationship on agricultural issues," he told the PAP news agency.

"We don't know what the suspension of the suit signifies," said Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus.

"We're asking that it be withdrawn because it is without merit and is absurd," he added.

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"Our call to the Ukrainian side is the following: if we want to improve our relations, this lawsuit must simply be withdrawn," the PAP news agency quoted him as saying.

Poland was one of Ukraine's most ardent supporters following Russia's invasion in February 2022 and the spat over grain exports marked rare discord between the neighbouring countries since the start of the war.