Ban on Russian grain transit shouldn't cancel existing deals — Latvian PM

VILNIUS, November 11. /TASS/. If a ban is instituted on the transit of Russian grain, it should not apply to deals that have already been concluded, the Delfi news portal reported, citing Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs. According to the head of government, halting the fulfillment of active contracts would lead to legal proceedings that Latvia would lose, forcing it to pay compensation. He explained that the grain belongs to international traders, including companies from the US, Switzerland, Denmark, and the UAE, whose commercial operations would be impacted by the restrictions. The Prime Minister outlined three potential courses of action: implementing a ban at the European Union level, Riga adopting its own decision, or restricting the use of Latvian infrastructure. He added that Latvia’s Ministries of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs must evaluate which mechanism is the most appropriate. Leaders of the Baltic states argue that Russia is allegedly hindering the export of Ukrainian grain to the global market while simultaneously attempting to "make a profit by transporting its own grain through EU territory" and "utilizing the bloc’s infrastructure." On October 9, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia submitted a joint appeal to Brussels requesting that Russian grain exports be prohibited from moving through EU territory.