The agriculture ministers of five European countries said July 19 that they would be extending their nations' ban on Ukrainian grain to protect the interests of their farmers. Despite the decision to prolong the ban, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland will still let Ukrainian food exports move through their land to other parts of the world.

The ministers of the five nations signed a joint declaration ahead of the EU’s discussions on Ukrainian grain exports set to take place during the week of July 26. The declaration allows Ukraine to still move grain through the countries by road, rail or sea to other destinations while extending the import ban to the five nations beyond the proposed September 15, 2023 deadline, according to the Associated Press.

“This coalition is not against anyone, not against Ukraine or the EU. It is in the interest of our farmers,” said Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus following a meeting with the other ministers.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was created to limit global food shortages caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, has allowed over 32 million metric tons of grain to be transported to the rest of the world since the conflict began in 2022.