World

Scandal at the border: Polish farmer calls on Putin to deal with Ukraine and the EU

During the protests on the Polish-Ukrainian border, one of the picketers brought a poster calling on Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin to “deal with Ukraine and Brussels”. This was reported by the Wyborcza newspaper, according to the

Photos of the incident were posted on social media, prompting a reaction from Polish law enforcement.

“Putin, deal with Ukraine, Brussels and our managers,” the poster read,

– the poster read.

A large USSR flag was also attached to the front of the vehicle.

The controversial banner appeared on one of the tractors blocking a section of road between two roundabouts located directly next to the A1 motorway, which is located directly next to the Czech border. Polish police immediately arrived at the scene.

“For your information, the controversial banner, whose photo was circulated on the Internet, was immediately confiscated and taken under police guard. The police and the prosecutor’s office are taking measures against its author. We will not tolerate such criminal activity,”

– wrote Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski on X/Twitter.

He has been charged with two offences: incitement and praise of Putin’s aggressive war and propaganda of totalitarianism.

“No one has the right to break the law and incite hatred. An investigation has been opened under Article 256, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code on public propaganda of fascist or other totalitarian state system or incitement to hatred based on national, ethnic, racial or religious differences,”

– the Polish police press service said.

The organisers of the protest themselves said that each participant was solely responsible for such inscriptions.

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. The initiator was 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 blocking the Dyakove-Halmeu checkpoint. However, as of 20 January, these checkpoints were reopened.

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 agriculture ministers of Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia sent a letter to the European Commission asking for action, saying 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.

This decision must then be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.

Thus, the EC’s decision virtually reintroduces 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.

Read also: European farmers demand to change the European Commission’s decision on Ukrainian exports.