Ukraine demands Poland punish protesting farmers

Ukraine was once the breadbasket of Europe, but its agriculture sector has been battered by a conflict with Russia that has left many of its Black Sea export ports blocked and farmland destroyed by landmines. Ukraine has tried to export grain to Europe by land, but has faced resistance in neighboring countries, where farmers have complained to their governments about unfair competition.

Polish farmers protest with a banner reading "Stop destroying Polish agriculture" at the Dorohusk border gate on February 9.

Last week, Polish farmers protested at the border, using tractors to block roads at three border crossings with Ukraine to prevent the import of cheap grain from their neighbor. According to AFP, some trucks carrying Ukrainian grain had their doors broken open after entering the EU, spilling the grain.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture on February 12 condemned the deliberate sabotage by Polish protesters and called on local authorities to quickly punish the perpetrators.

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"For two years, Ukrainian farmers have been working under constant enemy fire and suffering huge losses. They have harvested this grain with great difficulty and sometimes at the cost of their lives," Ukraine's Agriculture Ministry said. Ukraine's Deputy Economy Minister Taras Kachka said that if the Polish authorities did not react, it would lead to xenophobia and political violence.

Polish police confirmed on February 12 that they had inspected the scene of the sabotage and questioned witnesses before sending the evidence to prosecutors for review. Agnieszka Kepka, a spokeswoman for the district prosecutor's office in Lublin, Poland, said the spilled grain was probably unusable and that an investigation had been opened into a violation of customs security and property damage.

Ukrainian grain trucks near the Dorohusk border crossing in November 2023

The domestic farmers' protests pose a dilemma for the government of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has sought to improve relations with Ukraine since taking power last year.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on February 12, Mr. Tusk promised to find a common solution to the food security issue but also noted the interests of Polish farmers. "It is difficult to find a politician who is more strongly pro-Ukrainian than me in Europe. But we also need to take into account the food security interests of Poland and Europe," said Mr. Tusk, a former President of the European Council.

Ukrainian agricultural products spilled from truck onto road in Poland

A day earlier, Mr Tusk had insisted that there would be no change in Poland’s policy of assisting Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces. However, he stressed that he would protect Polish farmers and truck drivers from unfair competition.

The leader warned that if the complaints of the Polish business community are not addressed, anti-Ukrainian sentiment could increase.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/ukraine-doi-ba-lan-trung-phat-nong-dan-bieu-tinh-18524021312240024.htm