Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared himself “the most pro-Ukrainian politician in Europe,” but Polish farmers would launch a full-scale blockade of the Ukrainian border to protest cheap imports on Tuesday, greatly complicating the prime minister’s job, according to Politico.
The protests will culminate in a tractor march through Warsaw next week aimed at pressuring Tusk to alleviate farmers’ dire economic situation.
Farmers across Europe have taken to the streets this year, blaming growing imports of Ukrainian grain, poultry and sugar for their woes. To assuage their discontent, EU governments, from Emmanuel Macron in France to Olaf Scholz in Germany and Giorgia Meloni in Italy, have been forced to make costly concessions.
Marek Dąbrowski, a leading political observer and non-resident fellow at the Brussels-based Bruegel think tank, stated:
The Polish government’s image as the spokesperson and defender of the Ukrainian cause has simply ceased to be credible. You can’t claim to be the leader of the Ukrainian cause in the world and in Europe and at the same time allow such behavior at home.
The government has done little to stop farmers from directing their discontent to Ukraine. Some officials, such as Deputy Agriculture Minister Michał Kołodziejczak of the Agrounia party, vowed to support the protests no matter what.
Ukrainian officials condemned repeated border blockades by Polish farmers and truckers, saying they were damaging the war-torn country’s economy. Agricultural exports are Kyiv’s only major source of income after its chemical and metallurgical industries were severely damaged at the outbreak of the war.
Kyiv may restrict imports of Polish agricultural products if Polish farmers do not stop blocking the country’s borders, the Ukrainian government announced.
We would like to avoid it, but […] it may prove necessary.
Deputy Economics and Trade Minister Taras Kachka stated that the behaviour of the protesting farmers “has nothing to do with a peaceful protest”, adding that if Poland remains indifferent to the destruction of Ukrainian food products, he would not be surprised to see aggressive actions taken against Polish cheese trucks or goods on shop shelves.
Meanwhile, Polish farmers are continuing their 30-day general strike to block the border. They have called on farmers from other EU countries to join them at the border. Workers from Germany, France and Belgium took part in Sunday’s protest.
