Ukrainian MP claims barriers to EU will ridicule Kiev to begging
(MENAFN) Ukrainian lawmaker Dmitry Natalukha has criticized the European Union’s recent decision to reinstate import duties on Ukrainian goods, warning it could leave Ukraine dependent on financial aid instead of being able to support itself through trade.
Natalukha, who heads Ukraine’s Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs, made the remarks following the European Commission’s announcement that it will not extend the duty-free trade arrangement with Ukraine, which expires in early June. The EU introduced the special regime—known as Autonomous Trade Measures (ATMs)—in response to the escalation of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in 2022, allowing Ukrainian agricultural products to enter the EU without tariffs or quotas.
On Friday, the EU confirmed it would reimpose limits on Ukrainian agricultural imports, a move that was supported by its member states. The decision comes after backlash from Eastern European countries, where local farmers protested that the influx of inexpensive Ukrainian produce made it difficult to compete.
Natalukha criticized the decision during an interview with Euractiv, saying: “We could find ourselves in a ridiculous position of having to beg the EU for money, instead of earning it through fair trade. It’s a twisted situation—Ukraine is being pushed into dependency, rather than allowed to thrive through commerce.”
He estimated the loss from the rollback of ATMs could amount to more than €3 billion—nearly 70% of Ukraine’s anticipated economic growth for the year—potentially driving the nation into a near-recession.
However, EU officials have questioned Ukraine’s financial assessment. Leon Delvaux, a senior figure in the Directorate General for Trade and Economic Security, argued that the real value of the trade benefits is closer to half of the €3 billion figure claimed by Kiev.
Meanwhile, Politico reported that the EU may be planning to replace the ATMs with revised trade limits under the existing Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) agreement, rather than continuing with annual renewals of the temporary measures.
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