Latvian prime minister joins protest against transit of Russian and stolen Ukrainian grain
More than 300 people and nearly 200 vehicles gathered in Jēkabpils, Latvia, to demand an end to the rail transit of grain from Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories. Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kučbergs supported ending the transit in principle and said a draft law would be submitted to parliament, but no immediate decision had been reached.
Pääkohdat
- The protest took place in Jēkabpils on Saturday under the slogan “No to ‘bloody grain’!”
- More than 300 people and nearly 200 vehicles participated in the demonstration.
- The protesters called for Latvia to stop rail transit of grain from Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories.
- The initiative was started by farmer and civic activist Gundars Kalve.
- Prime Minister Andris Kučbergs said a draft law was planned to ban new transit contracts.
- Kučbergs said restrictions should be coordinated with the European Union.
- Ukraine, Britain and Latvia plan to use chemical and isotopic analysis to identify the origin of grain.
Miksi tämä on tärkeää
The protest renewed pressure on Latvia's government and the EU to prevent grain from Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories from using regional transport infrastructure. The proposed checks could help identify stolen Ukrainian grain, while the dispute shows the economic and political difficulty of imposing restrictions without broader EU coordination.
Mitä tapahtui
More than 300 people joined a protest in Jēkabpils on Saturday, accompanied by nearly 200 vehicles, including cars, agricultural machinery, tractors, trucks and grain wagons decorated with Latvian and Ukrainian flags. Organized by farmer and civic activist Gundars Kalve, the demonstration demanded that Latvia stop transporting grain from Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories over its rail network.
Prime Minister Andris Kučbergs attended the protest. He acknowledged that the transit should end because it sustains Russia's military machine and provides funds for destroying Ukrainians. At the same time, he said an immediate unilateral ban was not possible because the EU had not reached consensus and Latvia-only action could have negative economic consequences. Kučbergs said a draft law was planned for parliament that would stop the transit by prohibiting new contracts, and that ministries would coordinate their actions the following week.
Näin ukrainalaiset lähteet kertovat asiasta
Ukrainian reporting focuses on grain taken from occupied Ukrainian territories and on the use of EU ports and transport infrastructure to move stolen grain. The proposed chemical and isotopic checks are presented as a way to identify such grain and prevent it from helping finance Russia's war and destruction of Ukrainians.
Näin kansainväliset lähteet kertovat asiasta
The protest is presented within a broader European context. Lithuania is pressing for practical checks of grain origin, Estonia plans to halt Russian grain transit through its ports completely, and Kučbergs says any restrictions should be coordinated with the EU because unilateral action by Latvia could have negative economic consequences.
Missä uutisointi eroaa
The reported scale of the demonstration differs between sources: one described several dozen heavy vehicles, including tractors and grain wagons, while another reported nearly 200 vehicles in total.
Tausta
Some participants said Latvian farmers also suffer losses because of grain transit. Ukraine, Britain and Latvia have agreed to track stolen grain through chemical analysis and plan to determine the geographic origin of wheat, maize, barley and sunflower seed using isotope and chemical analysis.