On the day Volodymyr Zelensky visited Warsaw, the anger of Polish peasants hurt by competition for cheap Ukrainian wheat shows no signs of waning. Protests by farmers, which intensified the demonstrations on the occasion of the Ukrainian leader’s presence in the capital, forced Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk to resign. In particular, the former minister has been criticized for failing to prevent the extension of the EU solidarity program, which allows Ukraine to export agricultural products without paying taxes, for another year.
The so-called green stripes stretching from the country hit by the Russian occupation to other EU countries allow Ukraine to continue its productive activities despite the conflict. But they also cause problems for farms in neighboring countries, particularly Poland, which are affected by low-cost competition from Ukrainian grains. It is a situation that puts the government in Warsaw, which has come to the fore with its strong solidarity with Kiev since the beginning of the war, due to its joint rivalry with Russia, in great trouble.
But with the general elections scheduled for the fall, the majority PiS (Law and Justice) party cannot give up the support of the rural population, a significant part of its electorate, which on the eve of Zelensky’s visit has also threatened protest actions against the binary party. An agreement was signed between the Ukrainian leader and his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda.
The more than 56m euros the EU earmarked to help Bulgarian, Polish and Romanian farmers affected by competition in Ukraine didn’t quite work. The companies in the sector, which are affected by the decrease in product prices due to the increase in imports from Ukraine, actually see the support as insufficient. That’s why after Kowalczyk’s resignation came a tweet from Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki: “We support Ukraine, but let’s do it wisely and put the country’s interests and Polish farmers first!”.
Source: Today IT

Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.