Five European Union countries, namely Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia, have expressed their intention to extend the ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, despite the opposition of other EU members and the position of the European Commission, Politico reports, citing EU sources.

At a meeting with the European Commission, ambassadors from 22 other EU countries expressed dissatisfaction with this initiative. France and Germany are particularly critical of this.

A European diplomat, who prefers to remain anonymous, told the publication that the decision to extend the restrictions will be made for "purely political reasons." This is due to the fact that Poland is expected to hold general elections in the near future, and Warsaw wants to avoid potential protests from local farmers.

The official said: "The reason for the introduction of restrictive measures at the EU level was the fact that farmers began to block roads and terminals. And we need to prevent a situation where desperate farmers or radical leaders of farmers' unions take advantage of this situation."

As a reminder, Ukraine has expressed its readiness to file a lawsuit against Poland and the European Union if the ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products is extended.