Zelensky called on Poland to hold urgent negotiations.

President Zelensky called for urgent negotiations between Kyiv and Warsaw, after Polish farmers protested against Ukrainian grain, straining relations.

"I have instructed the Ukrainian Prime Minister to hold urgent talks with his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on February 15. "The Ukrainian grain spilled on the streets is not just a shocking image. It is also proof of how dangerous emotions can become."

Zelensky's comments come amid recent tensions between Kyiv and Warsaw, following a series of protests by Polish farmers against the government's "uncontrolled" imports of Ukrainian agricultural products. Some Polish farmers even blocked and forced Ukrainian trucks to unload their grain on the road at the border.

The Ukrainian president condemned the action, calling on Poland to improve bilateral relations. "We must protect good neighborliness no matter what," Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine and Poland "have a common enemy in Russia" and that the two countries "should always negotiate with each other."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks in Kyiv on January 22. Photo: AFP — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks in Kyiv on January 22. Photo: *AFP*

Poland was one of the countries that actively supported Ukraine when the conflict broke out in February 2022. However, the issue of cheap Ukrainian grain has affected the Polish domestic market as well as several other European countries. Polish and Ukrainian leaders have also made statements criticizing each other.

Poland banned imports of Ukrainian grain under former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and maintained the ban after the new Prime Minister Tusk, who holds pro-EU views, came to power in October 2023. The Polish Ministry of Agriculture said the ban on Ukrainian agricultural imports will remain in place until the EU has specific mechanisms in place to protect the Polish market.

Following the outbreak of conflict, Kyiv's grain exports via the Black Sea were disrupted. The EU facilitated the transport of Ukrainian grain through the union to other countries, but some Ukrainian grain remained stranded in Eastern European countries, severely impacting the domestic market.

In late January, the European Commission proposed extending the tariff exemption for Ukrainian agricultural products for another year starting in June, and subsequently introduced several safeguard measures that could be activated when "absolutely necessary," such as limiting imports of poultry, eggs, and sugar. Organizations representing EU farmers protested, warning of increased demonstrations if EU officials did not take strong action.

As reported by Tâm ( AFP )

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