We got no clear message about where they are heading, says Sweden's Minister for Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa (M) about the EU Commission's latest statement on the matter.
The matter was raised at a lunch meeting between the EU's trade ministers in Brussels on Thursday.
We are a coalition of countries – Sweden, Finland, and the Baltic states – that are really driving for a renewed agreement (between the EU and Ukraine) to be as broad as possible. It's the same countries that want to hit the Russian economy as hard as possible and want to simplify trade as much as possible for Ukraine, says Dousa.
It's extremely important for Ukraine's defense that they can trade with Europe, which is their most important counterpart, he adds.
The EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic assured at the meeting that there would be a "smooth transition period" for Ukraine if they fail to reach a new agreement. He said he had ongoing contact with Ukraine about the matter.
The opposition to a new agreement comes, according to Dousa, primarily from the EU's presiding country Poland.
It's no secret that for Poland this has been a sensitive issue. It's mainly about agricultural products.
According to Ukrainian media, revenue from agricultural products accounted for 59 percent of Ukraine's export last year. Half of this came from the EU.
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