Spain's agriculture minister Luis Planas Puchades said on Monday a unilateral ban by any European Union member state on Ukrainian grain imports seemed illegal but it was up to the European Commission to judge.

Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports on Friday after the European Commission decided not to extend its ban on imports into Ukraine's five EU eastern European member states.

Ukrainian farmers have relied on grain exports through neighbouring countries since the conflict began as it has been unable to use the favoured routes through Black Sea ports. (Reporting by Julia Payne Editing by Gareth Jones)