Zelensky’s Rage At Europe’s Temporary Grain Restrictions From Ukraine Is Counterproductive

What’s unacceptable isn’t Europe’s temporary restrictions on Ukrainian grain, but Zelensky’s ungrateful rage and zero-sum demands of regional farmers, not to mention that his country’s agricultural products should be exported to hungry Global South states per the “grain deal” and not the comfortably fed EU.

The best actors have a knack for improvisation, something that Zelensky completely lacks as proven by his counterproductive rant against Europe’s temporary grain restrictions from Ukraine. France’s Le Figaro proved in late March that grain from this former Soviet Republic was flooding into Central & Eastern Europe and causing problems for local farmers. Poland imposed unilateral restrictions two weeks later, after which the European Commission (EC) temporarily banned Kiev’s exports to nearby countries.

According to their press release from a week back, “During this period, wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed originating in Ukraine can continue to be released for free circulation in all the Member States of the European Union other than the five frontline Member States: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The products can continue to circulate in or transit via these five Member States by means of a common customs transit procedure or go to a country or territory outside the EU.”

Nevertheless, Zelensky raged against this on Tuesday, with CNN reporting that he said: “Unfortunately, we have encountered problems where we should have continued to see strong signs of solidarity, in proportion to the threats that exist today — tough and even brutal, for wartime, protectionist measures from our neighbors. Any restrictions on our exports now are absolutely unacceptable because they do not strengthen all of us in Europe, instead they strengthen the aggressor’s capabilities.”

Instead of being grateful that his country can sell its grain to Western Europe without criticism despite the jointly Turkish- and UN-brokered Russian-Ukrainian “grain deal” being intended to facilitate exports to the Global South, Zelensky seemingly prefers the faster and more profitable route of continuing to dump its agricultural products onto his neighbors’ market and the expense of their farmers. This is most likely due to some corruption scheme from which he, his inner circle, and/or allied oligarchs benefited.

Zelensky should have just kept his mouth shut, remained thankful in the public eye, and worked out another way to make money from this on the side. Instead, he was triggered for whatever reason into counterproductively ranting against the EC, which prompts his regional sympathizers into second-guessing their support for his side’s cause after he de facto demanded that their farmers suffer just so Kiev can more easily export its grain. That’s an unnecessary sacrifice, however, as every observer knows.

What’s unacceptable isn’t Europe’s temporary restrictions on Ukrainian grain, but Zelensky’s ungrateful rage and zero-sum demands of regional farmers, not to mention that his country’s agricultural products should be exported to hungry Global South states per the “grain deal” and not the comfortably fed EU. The whole thing is a shameful circus at this point, but what’s so surprising is the chutzpah of both parties to publicly engage in their spat without any concern for the deal’s intended recipients.

https://korybko.substack.com/p/zelenskys-rage-at-europes-temporary