Zelensky: Poland exploits agriculture protests as a political game
3 Min Read
In an address to Polish officials, Zelensky says Polish protests have overstepped all boundaries.
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Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky talk during their meeting in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, January 22, 2024. (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Polish farmers' protests against Ukrainian agricultural imports have "crossed all boundaries," accusing Poland of exploiting the situation and the war for personal political plots.
On Telegram, Zelensky addressed Polish officials to restrict the crisis that he claims has been expanded beyond economic predicaments and ethics.
“It is simply impossible to explain how the hardships of a bleeding country can be used in domestic political struggles,” he said, nudging Warsaw's permission for the protests to escalate to this level, assuring that Kiev will pull through the situation.
While Poland remains a steadfast ally of Ukraine in its war with Russia, recent tensions over farming issues have strained relations. This includes farmers blocking three border crossings in protest against the low prices of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products.
Read more: Ukraine's PM faces no-show from Polish officials amid farmers protests
Beginning of protests
The core of the farmers' grievances lies in the exemption granted to Ukrainian truckers from acquiring permits to cross the Polish border since February 2022, making their services more cost-effective and appealing to customers.
Moreover, farmers in neighboring countries have complained about product surpluses affecting domestic prices.
In September 2023, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary decided to impose their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports after the European Commission opted not to extend a ban affecting Ukraine's five EU neighbors.
So far, Poland has still not lifted the ban it imposed on Ukrainian grain imports, but has not yet been dealt any consequences despite having violated one of the basic principles of the EU's trade policy, according to Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
Poland: Ukraine admission to EU puts EU agriculture at risk
Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak said back in December that Ukraine's entry into the European Union could subvert food security in the bloc, laying off European farmers and causing an agricultural ordeal, after a decision was taken to establish negotiations concerning Ukraine's admission into the union.
"Ukrainian agriculture is capable of destabilizing food security in any country of the European Union. If we want this, we can immediately open the doors and say, 'We are closing our agricultural enterprises because their work will not make sense," Kolodziejczak told Polish broadcaster RMF FM. He added that Ukrainian agriculture, which had been monopolized by 95 holdings ranging from land to railroad, would be chosen to dominate Polish produce.
"We must respect our interests, as, for example, Germany did when Poland joined the European Union. At the time, the labor market for Poles was frozen for eight years. Today, we could say that agricultural products from Ukraine – fresh and processed – should not enter Poland, for example, 20 years after Ukraine joins the EU," the official added.
