Baltic countries push for EU ban on Russian grain transit

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania proposed a European ​Union ban on Friday on Russian grain exports ‌through the bloc in a joint letter addressed to European Council president António Costa and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

In the letter, the Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal, Latvian prime minister Andris Kulbergs and Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda stress that by attacking Ukrainian cargo ships, railways, and other vital trade routes, Russia is attempting to weaken Ukraine’s economy. At the same time, Russia is seeking new routes for its grain exports, including via the Baltic Sea.

The leaders argue that the European Union must not provide Russia with an opportunity to offset the economic consequences of its aggression.

They also state that the export of