Polish Foreign Minister says EU should cancel preferential trade regime with Ukraine
27 February 2024 20:15
The European Union should reintroduce trade restrictions on imports of Ukrainian food products that existed before the full-scale Russian invasion. This was stated by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, Kommersant Ukrainsky reports 
with reference to Bloomberg.
“We must return to the pre-war trade rules, and then start negotiations with Ukraine on joining the EU and the single market with all the adjustments and all the rules that need to be followed,” he said,
– sikorsky said.
He clarified that this was only his vision, apparently meaning that it did not reflect the official position of the Polish government.
Sikorski added, however, that the situation has changed now compared to when the EU decided to grant duty-free trade with Ukraine. Now Ukraine can once again ship its grain across the Black Sea, the diplomat said.
“Polish farmers cannot bear the burden of all the EU’s solidarity with Ukraine. I agree that this is not a very good optic. But we must do both – save Ukraine and save Polish farming,”
– said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland.
The day before, Polish Minister of Agriculture Czeslaw Sekerski said that due to the difficult situation of Polish farmers, Poland would demand changes to the Green Deal from the EU.
Border blockade
on9 February 2024, Polish farmers began a new nationwide strike and blockade of the border with Ukraine, which will last until 10 March. The initiator was the independent farmers’ trade union Solidarity. The main demand of the protesters is to cancel the preferential trade regime with Ukraine and to return the permit system for importing goods into Poland.
Meanwhile, Poland has already imposed an embargo on Ukrainian grain, Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak said.
Polish Minister of Development and Technology Krzysztof Hetman, in turn, said that Poland could impose an embargo on all Ukrainian agricultural products.
Ukrainians responded by blocking the border for Polish trucks.
The situation is deteriorating every day. There are cases of Ukrainian agricultural products in transit being dumped in Poland. For example, on the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, on 24 February, at around 9am, unknown persons damaged freight cars with beans. On 25 February, eight wagons with Ukrainian corn were opened.
On 26 February, Polish farmers began blocking the border with Germany to prevent Ukrainian grain from entering the German market.
Starting from 1 March, carriers plan to join the protests of Polish farmers.
