{"id":186721,"date":"2023-09-17T08:22:09","date_gmt":"2023-09-17T12:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=186721"},"modified":"2023-09-17T08:22:48","modified_gmt":"2023-09-17T12:22:48","slug":"who-ever-thought-it-would-be-grain-that-would-cause-the-final-collapse-of-the-totalitarian-eu-superstate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=186721","title":{"rendered":"Who ever thought it would be “grain” that would cause the final collapse of the utterly corrupt totalitarian EU superstate?!?!?!"},"content":{"rendered":"

ZeroHedge.com<\/p>\n

The European Union’s Friday announcement effectively ending its import ban on Ukrainian grain in five member states has once again put Brussels on a collision course with some key eastern and central European members.\u00a0“Existing measures will expire today,”<\/strong>\u00a0the European Commission stated, reportedly based on verbal promises that Kiev will control exports.<\/p>\n

Soon after the Russian invasion, the EU sought control measures by placing quotas and tariffs on Ukrainian foodstuffs; however, the flood of cheap Ukrainian grain into European markets\u00a0threatened the survival of farmers\u00a0<\/strong>in places like Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. Some of these very countries – Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia – have now said they aren’t playing ball, and have announced in unison they will\u00a0defy the EU decision<\/strong>\u00a0and are\u00a0extending the temporary ban<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Image source: Bloomerg\/Getty\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This renews a fight which has raged behind the scenes and threatens to fracture a united European response to the Ukraine conflict. Putin’s move to pull out of the UN and Turkey-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative (by not renewing it) is thus having its desired effect, from the Kremlin’s perspective.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki defiantly announced Friday,\u00a0“We will extend this ban despite the European Union\u2019s disagreement,”<\/strong>\u00a0according to Polish state media. Underscoring the existing tensions, he called out EU leadership by name, saying “We will not listen to Berlin or von der Leyen, Tusk or Weber.\u00a0We will do it because it is in the interests of the Polish farmer<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

While much of overland Ukraine grain exports have flowed into neighboring Poland with an intention to take it to other EU countries, the majority has tended to remain stuck in the country, which\u00a0severely impacted Polish farmers given collapsing prices\u00a0that resulted. Outraged farmers have staged several large protests across the country. The Polish government has said it is defying the EU in the “interest of Polish farmers and consumers.”<\/p>\n

A similar rationale is being voiced by Hungary and Slovakia. Hungarian\u00a0Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated Saturday on “X” that his country plans to\u00a0“take matters into our own hands.”\u00a0<\/strong>Orban said in a fresh shot across the EU’s bow:<\/p>\n

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“Ukrainian agricultural products destined for Africa are\u00a0flooding Central European markets<\/strong>. The bureaucrats in Brussels are turning a blind eye to the problems of European problems of European farmers once again so Hungary, Poland and Slovakia are extending the ban on imports\u00a0on a national basis<\/strong>.”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n