Latvia has taken legislative measures to ban imports of Russian grain and now insists on expanding sanctions against Russian agricultural exports to the European Union. This position was expressed by Latvian Minister of Agriculture Armands Krause. He emphasized that such actions do not affect transit to other EU countries, and will help support Ukraine and reduce the potential impact on the Russian economy.

According to him, the exclusion of Russian grain from the EU market can be replaced by products from Ukraine. This will not only contribute to economic support for Ukraine, but also prevent the potential use of Russian goods for the needs of the military.

The Latvian Minister of Agriculture expressed his belief that the current situation in Ukraine requires quick and effective measures from the European Union. He emphasized that recent events related to the war have dramatically changed the geopolitical landscape, so it is necessary to change approaches and strategies at the EU level.

The Latvian official also noted that the European Agricultural Policy needs to be revised, as it was developed before the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and the current geopolitical changes.

Now, in particular, Latvia is facing problems on the Polish border due to the conflict situation in Ukraine. Nevertheless, the country is in favor of a quick response and adaptation to the new conditions in order to ensure the free movement of goods between EU countries and support Ukraine.

It is worth noting that back in January 2024, the Baltic states proposed to ban imports of Russian and Belarusian grain to the EU. And on February 22, the Latvian Saeima approved a ban on the import of Russian and Belarusian agricultural products into the country until at least July 2025. Thus, Latvia became the first EU country to legally restrict the use of agricultural products from Russia and Belarus.