Baltic leaders ask EU to bar transit of Russian grain

The prime ministers of Estonia and Latvia, Kristen Michal and Andris Kulbergs, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda have urged the European Union to prohibit Russian grain from transiting the bloc.

In a letter published by the Estonian government on Oct. 9, the three leaders argued that Russia was obstructing Ukrainian grain exports while earning revenue from shipping its own agricultural goods through the EU. Michal intends to raise the issue at next week’s European Council meeting. Estonia’s prime minister also said European infrastructure should not help finance Russia’s war.

Estonia introduced a national ban on the transit of Russian and Belarusian grain through its territory on Oct. 1. Earlier, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Tallinn was coordinating with Latvia and Lithuania to stop such shipments from using Baltic ports. In early September, the Latvian government announced plans for a 300% tariff on Russian and Belarusian grain cargoes and their handling.

At EU level, existing restrictions covered imports rather than transit. In May 2024, the bloc raised tariffs on grain, oilseeds and processed products from Russia and Belarus. The Kremlin warned at the time that European consumers would be affected. In March 2024, Dmitry Peskov said specialists should assess whether alternative routes could offset the practical effect of import restrictions.