Romanian Presidential Candidate Promises to End Ukrainian Grain Exports From Romanian Ports if Elected

Victor Ponta, a Romanian Presidential Candidate, speaks at a press conference (Wikimedia Commons).

Victor Ponta, a Romanian presidential candidate, announced on April 7 that he would end Ukrainian grain exports via Romanian ports if elected, per Reuters. Ponta was the Prime Minister of Romania from 2012 to 2015, resigning after a deadly nightclub fire that resulted in 64 fatalities, according to the Kyiv Independent. In Romania, writes Reuters, the president has “a semi-executive role, which includes chairing the council that decides on military aid and defense spending, and can veto European Union votes that require unanimity.” 

Ukraine produces 10 percent of the world’s wheat, 15 percent of its corn, 13 percent of its barley, and 50 percent of its sunflowers, per DW. Before the war, Ukraine produced 33 million tons of grain per year. Many countries like Egypt, which is a net importer of food, heavily depend on Ukraine (known as the breadbasket of Europe) for grain imports. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, wheat prices spiked, resulting in financial hardship for many net importers of food. Since 2022, per Reuters, Romania has exported 29 million tons of Ukrainian grain, mainly through the Black Sea port of Constanta.

Ponta is an ex-leftist turned nationalist, and his stance on Ukrainian grain exports stems from demands by Romanian farmers who have been negatively impacted by the influx of Ukrainian grain into Romanian markets, writes Reuters. In an interview with Reuters, Ponta said, “there has been a policy of favoring Ukrainian grain in terms of access to port facilities in recent years, at the detriment of Romanian grain, and Romanian farmers were greatly affected by it.” 

Despite his stance on Ukrainian grain exports, Ponta is not a Russian apologist; he has pledged to defend Romania’s neighbor Moldova in the event of Russian aggression, per Reuters. He also said Romania would continue to train Ukrainian pilots and allow for weapons deliveries to Ukraine through its territory. He further stated that he wants to increase military spending to 3 percent of GDP.

The Romanian electoral system is embroiled in controversy, as the Supreme Court canceled elections in December two days before they were due to take place because of allegations of Russian interference on behalf of a far-right candidate, according to Journal of Democracy. The election, reports the Kyiv Independent, is now scheduled for May 8th, and Ponta is expected to have a good chance of reaching the runoff.