The temperature in relations between Poland and Ukraine is constantly rising. Our eastern neighbors are increasingly irritated by the ongoing farmers’ strike in Poland and are announcing retaliatory actions. The dispute is taking place not only at the political level, but also at the media level.
- Tension between Poland and Ukraine is growing.
- According to Ukrainian media, there is a boycott of Polish products in the country.
- The Ukrainian side argues that this is related to the blocking of the Polish-Ukrainian border by farmers.
The local media continue to report that humanitarian aid and transports of fuel and military equipment are being blocked, which is leading to problems for Ukraine on the front.
Such speculations appear even though the head of the Ukrainian government has clearly stated that the blockades do not affect sensitive transport.
It is very important that despite the protests of Polish carriers and Polish farmers, there has been no blocking of deliveries of arms, military equipment, humanitarian transports and fuel. All these cargoes are going to Ukraine without any problems, said Denys Shmyhal.
However, it seems that the mutual hostility is so great that the government’s assurances are of little use.
Ukrainian media accuse Poland
In recent days, the daily “Ukraińska Pravda” published an article by Mikhail Tracz, in which he argues that Polish companies conduct lucrative business with Belarus and Russia and are not bothered by the fact that the rulers of these countries threaten to turn Warsaw and other EU capitals into nuclear ashes.
In his material, Tracz alleges that thousands of Polish trucks with Russian agricultural products pass through Belarus to Poland and back. He also emphasizes that agricultural blockades are stopping humanitarian and military transports.
In his investigation, a Ukrainian journalist pretended to be a trader offering grain from Belarus and recorded a conversation with managers of Agrolok, which is one of the largest grain purchasing networks in Poland.
The representative of the Polish company was interested in this possibility. (…) After hearing that the product was actually of Russian origin, despite the Belarusian documents, the representative of the Polish company still asked to send details of the offer by post, wrote Tracz.
However, the company firmly denies these accusations.
In recent years, Agrolok has not imported agricultural produce from Belarus – assures Paulina Biernatowska, spokeswoman for Aglolok from Golub Dobrzyń, in an interview with wp.pl.
– The example of a conversation with a representative of Agrolok is not consistent with the context of the material published by the Ukrainian journalist. Our representatives conducting foreign trade give space to everyone to present their offer, and the final filter is e-mail correspondence. Thanks to such conversations, we research the market and know what the competition has to offer. This conversation is far from concluding a transaction – he explains the context of the conversation.
As Agrolok representatives emphasize, no one asked them for a comment before the text was published.
Tracz also indicates other Polish companies that, in his opinion, buy products from Belarus and Russia. In the same text, the journalist also raises the volume of imports. It turns out that the value of imports of agricultural products from Ukraine to Poland amounted to USD 1.3 billion. At the same time, imports of Belarusian goods amounted to only $55 million, while imports of Russian goods amounted to $177 million.
Are price increases at stations and stores the fault of Polish farmers?
The list of accusations directed at Poland is long. The Ukrainian Commission for Finance, Tax Policy and Customs of Ukraine reported that due to the border blockade, Ukraine lost approximately UAH 8 billion (almost PLN 800 million) in customs revenues. Information is widely reported in the media that this is money taken from the Ukrainian army. The list of allegations also includes the opinions of the Prime fuel company, which claims that due to the slowdown in transport, the price of LPG gas is increasing, which has gone up by up to a quarter at Ukrainian stations, as well as the Association of Retail Sellers of Ukraine, which points to shortages in supplies to stores and price increases. cheese and dairy prices.
Many Ukrainians are basically starting to avoid Polish products, organizing a boycott of this country’s producers – and this is a fully justified reaction of the Ukrainian society to the provocations organized at the border – summarizes the Unian agency.
The situation does not improve with the announcement of the Polish government, which is currently considering completely closing the border to trade in agri-food products.
Is this an intentional increase in tension?
Relations between Poland and Ukraine have been tense for a long time. It is true that both sides talk about mutual sympathy and the need for cooperation, but at the same time both sides use increasingly harsh words regarding mutual relations.
There is no deficit in Polish-Ukrainian relations, there is one critical moment regarding the export of Ukrainian grain. It would be the greatest idiocy in the history of our nations if we quarreled now and did not find a solution, argued Donald Tusk.
– Brussels, i.e. European institutions, but also Kiev must understand that maintaining the current situation is unacceptable to hundreds of thousands of hard-working people in Poland and Europe; that we must find a solution that will not harm Ukraine, but Polish farmers cannot be the victims of this solution. That’s it, that’s it and that’s it – he added.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has a much tougher stance on this matter.
The situation on the Polish border has long crossed the barrier of economics and morality, he said. – It is impossible to explain how the complicated situation of a bleeding country can be used in an internal political fight.
Since such words come from the most important politician in the country, it is hardly surprising that leading media use the same rhetoric.
The Ukrainian authorities are well aware that the problem did not appear yesterday. However, they hoped that the situation would normalize after Donald Tusk’s party took power. However, this did not happen, and the problem, like any problem that is swept under the carpet, has grown significantly.
The tone of politicians’ statements is becoming increasingly harsh
The tone of Ukrainian politicians’ statements has also become more intense, as they question the problems of Polish farmers and try to downplay them by emphasizing the political games taking place in the country. This, in turn, is increasingly frustrating the Polish society, which at the beginning of the war opened not only its hearts, but also its homes to Ukraine.
In this way, the conflict that should have been resolved long ago at the political level moved to the social level. The spiral of hostility between Poles and Ukrainians is getting stronger and stronger. Relations that have never been easy seem to be getting even more complicated, and we are slowly reaching the point where citizens of neighboring countries begin to show open hostility towards each other.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that the message coming from those in power is in which it is difficult to find coherence. Every now and then we receive information that talks are ongoing, and then one of the parties firmly denies it. Just when it seems that the situation is somehow under control, another flashpoint appears. And questions.
Why does the Ukrainian side, which claims that only 5% of its exports pass through Polish territory, fight so hard to maintain this state of affairs? Why has the next Polish government been unable/unwilling to find a way to solve this burning problem for two years? One thing is certain – farmers will not give up. At every step they emphasize that they are against the wall and have nowhere to turn back. It seems that the Ukrainian side will not give up either. And the effect is that ordinary citizens start to look at each other with disdain. Observing the situation, it is impossible not to get the impression that someone clearly cares about this state of affairs. Because the fact that the Kremlin is just rubbing its hands while watching the Polish-Ukrainian squabbles is certain.
