The Estonian government has decided to ban the transit of grain from Russia and Belarus through the country. Although Russia and Belarus have not so far used Estonia to export their grain, the restriction will prevent this in future.
Because of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, grain exports from both Russia and Ukraine via Black Sea ports have effectively come to a halt. Russia is now looking for new export routes for its grain, and grain transit through Latvia has surged in recent months.
As Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna noted, Russia is attacking Ukrainian ports and preventing Ukrainian grain from reaching the global market. It would therefore be cynical to allow it to export its own grain through Estonian ports at the same time.
According to Tsahkna, Estonia’s position is well known.
“Back in September we said there was no point in planning to transport Russian grain through Estonia. Now we will put an end to this with a state sanction. We will not soften the consequences of the war that Russia itself started,” the minister stressed.
According to the ministry, the transit of Russian grain through Estonia has so far been virtually non-existent. The ban ensures that Estonia will not become a new transit route for Russian grain. The decree will take effect the day after it is published in the State Gazette.
Representatives of Latvia and Lithuania have also spoken about plans to stop the transit of Russian grain through their territory.
“We are working together with Latvia and Lithuania to ensure that Russian grain does not transit through the ports of the Baltic states. The Baltic states cannot allow Russia’s war economy to be supported through our ports,” Tsahkna stressed.
The European Union introduced tariffs on Russian and Belarusian grain products in 2024 to stop their import into the European Union. However, the tariffs do not fully prevent grain from transiting through the European Union to third countries.
- In Estonia, the Social Democratic Party is urging the government to fully close the existing border crossing points on the border with Russia. It proposed directing the freed-up resources to help Latvia guard its border with Belarus.