Deal reached in principle to resume Ukraine grain transit with 5 EU countries. Ukraine says grain import restrictions are 'unacceptable'

The European Commission said on Friday it had reached a deal in principle to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain to resume through five European Union countries that had imposed restrictions.

Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia cited concerns that grain from Ukraine meant to be exported to other countries had ended up in their local markets, which was pushing down prices for local farmers.

European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis tweeted that the EU executive had reached "an agreement in principle" with the five "to address concerns of both farmers in neighbouring EU countries and Ukraine".

He said the deal included "safeguard measures" for four products - wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed. He did not provide any further details.

The deal also includes a support package worth 100 million euros ($110.25 million) for local farmers, Dombrovskis said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had spoken on Friday to Charles Michel, President of the European Council, to raise concerns over what he called a destructive ban on exports of agricultural products.

"This gives the Kremlin dangerous hope, the hope that in our common European home someone's wrong decisions can prevail over common interests," he said in a video address.

The five countries became transit routes for Ukrainian grain that could not be exported through the country's Black Sea ports because of Russia's invasion.

Bottlenecks then trapped millions of tons of grains in countries bordering Ukraine, forcing local farmers to compete with an influx of cheap Ukrainian imports that they said distorted prices and demand.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the deal "preserves both Ukraine's exports capacity so it continues feeding the world, and our farmers' livelihoods".

Ukraine had protested to key allies the European Union and Poland over restrictions on its grain supplies on Friday, before the European Commission announced later in the day that a deal had been reached in principle to resolve the matter.

Ukraine's foreign ministry said on Saturday it had sent notes to the Polish Embassy and EU representative office in Kyiv on Friday expressing disappointment with the situation and saying restrictions on its grain exports via the European trade bloc were "categorically unacceptable".

The European Commission said on Friday afternoon it had reached a deal in principle to allow the transit of Ukrainian grain to resume through five EU countries that had imposed restrictions.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said on Saturday in response to a question from Reuters that the notes had been sent before the Commission's announcement.

Asked if the announcement had changed the ministry's position, he said: "There must be (unhindered) export for all Ukrainian goods".

"There are full legal grounds for the immediate resumption of exports of Ukrainian agricultural goods to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria, as well as the continuation of unhindered exports to other EU member states," the ministry said in an emailed statement on Saturday.

IC UAC according to Reuters