Duda accepts Zelenskyy’s proposal to meet at the border

22 February 18:06

President of Poland Andrzej Duda supported the idea of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet two government delegations. This was stated by the Secretary of State of the Office of the Polish President Andrzej Dera, reports with reference to tvn24.

“The President is in favour of this dialogue. This is the only way to solve this big problem. The problem is bilateral and very powerful. Our farmers are fighting for their existence. The Ukrainian nation is fighting for its existence. The situation is catastrophic on both sides, looking from this point of view, because the determination of both sides is enormous, and this problem just needs to be solved,”

– the Polish official said.

Dera did not reject the idea of a meeting at the border, but noted that it would be better to talk in Warsaw or another city, not necessarily near the border. However, he understands the symbolism.

“It’s about a symbol. The idea is to clean up the border,”

– dera added.

It is also unclear whether Duda is going to go to the border personally or whether he wants to send only a government delegation.

Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk refused to meet.

Border blockade

on 9 February 2024, Polish farmers began a new nationwide strike and blockade of the border with Ukraine, which will last until 10 March. It was initiated by the independent farmers’ trade union Solidarity. Starting from 12 February, they plan to block all checkpoints. The main demand of the protesters is to cancel the preferential trade regime with Ukraine and return the permit system for importing goods into Poland.

Problems at the border began on 6 November 2023, when Polish transport companies began blocking truck traffic at three major checkpoints on the Ukrainian border: “Korczowa-Krakowiec, Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska, and Dorohusk-Yagodyn. One of the requirements was to reinstate the permits for Ukrainian carriers that had been cancelled under the agreement with the EU by 30 June 2024.

On6 January, truck traffic to the Medyka-Shehyni border crossingin Poland resumed. Three other border crossing points were opened on 17 January, namely Dorohusk – Yagodyn, Hrebenne – Rava-Ruska, and Korczowa – Krakivets.

In Romania, on 13 and 14 January, local farmers blocked the movement of Ukrainian trucks through the Siret checkpoint, and on 15 January, they began blocking the Vicovu de Sus checkpoint. on 18 January, Romanian farmers began blockading the Dyakove-Halmeu checkpoint. However, as of 20 January, these checkpoints were opened.

Currently, the blockade of the border continues – “Polish farmers” have blocked truck traffic at six checkpoints. According to the State Border Guard Service, there are more than 2,500 trucks in the queues.

Meanwhile, Poland has already imposed an embargo on Ukrainian grain, according to Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak.

Polish Minister of Development and Technology Krzysztof Hetman, in turn, said that Poland could impose an embargo on all Ukrainian agricultural products.

The preferential trade regime and its opponents

Many EU members did not like the quota-free imports of Ukrainian products to the EU, which was in effect in 2022-2023. In particular, a number of Eastern European countries demanded that the EU impose import duties on Ukrainian goods, citing unfair competition. The ministers of agriculture of Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia sent a letter to the European Commission asking for action, stating that cheaper agricultural products from Ukraine were eating into their export markets.

The Ukrainian side tried to reach an agreement with the ‘problematic’ countries.” In particular, on 26 January, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a resolution that improves the rules for exporting certain types of agricultural products. According to the resolution, a company may be excluded from the list of verified agricultural entities if it violates these rules.

At the end of January 2024, the European Commission effectively reintroduced quotas for some Ukrainian goods. It extended the special preferential regime with Ukraine for a year, but set special conditions and safeguards for some goods.

In particular, in order to “stabilise imports at the level of average volumes in 2022-2023”, the EU has come up with an “emergency braking” mechanism for three products: poultry, eggs and sugar.

In practice, this means setting a quota at the level of the average export volume in 2022-2023, exceeding which will automatically result in an import tariff being applied to the products.

Thus, the EC’s decision effectively brings back quotas for some Ukrainian products, even if at the average level of Ukrainian exports. However, even this compromise solution does not suit the Polish farmers’ union.

Thedecision was approved by the EU ambassadors. Now it is the turn of the European Parliament.

Остафійчук Ярослав
Editor