The European Union agreed a new trade deal with Ukraine, with the war-hit country lowering tariffs on food imports as the bloc seeks to appease its powerful agricultural lobby.
The EU abolished tariffs and quotas on exports to Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 invasion, but Eastern European states fielded protests from farmers who complained their markets were being flooded. The new agreement attempts to support Kyiv while mollifying neighbors.
Despite the deal, and NATO’s recent agreement to focus on deterring Russia, Ukraine’s outlook is bleak, the Financial Times’ chief foreign-affairs commentator warned: Analysts say the country’s battlefield position is deteriorating, and while Moscow’s forces could become exhausted within a year, for Ukraine that timescale may be shorter.