The European Union on May 22 took a major step forward in ending imports of Russian and Belarusian nitrogen-based fertilizer products into the bloc by approving a schedule of increases in duties aimed at making it economically unviable to buy such products within the next three years.

The European Parliament voted on Thursday to impose prohibitive tariffs on fertilisers and certain farm produce from Russia and its ally Belarus to prevent a potential threat to EU food security and limit Russian funds for its war against Ukraine.

"The regulation gradually increasing customs duties for products from Russia and Belarus will help to prevent Russia from using the EU market to finance its war machine," said Inese Vaidere, Latvian Member of the European Parliament.