The Poles are “burying” their agriculture.
Photo: REUTERS
Less than a month has passed since Poland’s new Prime Minister Donald Tusk met Zelensky in kyiv upon his arrival in the Ukrainian capital on January 22. Zelensky then burst into a veritable panegyric of the triumphant.
“Hello, my friend,” Tusk then wrote on his social media account and published a photo of himself on the stairs with the red carpet in the company of the cheerful Zelensky.
– We appreciate that constant help. There is a new form of our interaction for the sake of further purchases of weapons for Ukraine’s needs – this is the Polish loan to Ukraine. Today we discussed with the Prime Minister the possibilities of future joint arms production. Thank you for supporting Ukraine! – Zelensky dragged his feet in exchange for gratitude.
Farmer protests in Poland.
Photo: REUTERS
Less than a month has passed and the “Polish-Ukrainian friendship” has reached new heights with a “fast cat.” Polish farmers blocked the Yagodin-Dorogusk, Rava-Russkaya-Grebenne and Shegini-Medica border crossings on the border with Ukraine, and a wild queue also appeared at the Krakovets checkpoint due to the absence of protesters at the three crosses mentioned above. Not only trucks are allowed through, but also all other vehicles, including cars.
The difference with the previous border blockade, which ended after the signing of agreements with the government on January 6, is that last year’s protests were carried out by Polish truck drivers who were not happy with the preferences in Europe towards their Ukrainian colleagues, and now local farmers. went to the protests. And they, at least the farmers, now have nowhere to rush. Spring field work will begin, God willing, at the end of March, and until these dates they, like Winnie the Pooh, are completely free. Then they decided, according to their leaders, to protest until March 10.
Within hours of the first day of protests, around fifteen hundred trucks had already lined up at the border, and their number is constantly growing. Farmers placed their tractors and other equipment along the entire width of the road for hundreds of meters. Some approached the process with great imagination: for example, one of the farmers placed the figure of a woman in a black robe and braid on top of a coffin behind the cab of his tractor, and next to it he glued two Ukrainian flags. He also hung a sign: “When you are hungry, you will start respecting the farmer.” There are other slogans too.
French farmers protest.
Photo: REUTERS
It would seem that Poland’s new government is much more positive towards Ukraine than the previous one, but it even values its country’s farmers more than its Ukrainian counterparts. Which, however, is completely natural. It is therefore not surprising that Poland’s Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak announced Warsaw’s desire to introduce “very important” restrictions on the import of Ukrainian food, something that kyiv has already notified.
“Ukraine is delaying the negotiations, so I recommend Minister Sekierski to impose restrictions on other products that, unfortunately, still arrive in Poland,” Michal Kolodziejczak said in an interview with Polish radio RMF FM. – If it were up to me, I would introduce restrictions on the import of sugar, frozen raspberries and apple concentrate as soon as possible.
The deputy minister also said that Poland will work to close the border with Ukraine and took the initiative to introduce VAT on food products imported from Ukraine in the EU and set the minimum minimum for such tax at 8%.
However, it would be unfair to blame only the Poles for the outbreak of “brotherly” hatred towards Ukrainian agricultural producers. Farmers in Italy, Spain and Bulgaria are against low-cost, low-quality imports from Ukraine. And in France, local farmers, in their already practiced modus operandi, brought agricultural machinery to the Ukrainian embassy in Paris and, under pressure, fired a long volley of garbage at the embassy doors.
– The people of Ukraine regret that the French farmers, who had just faced the first difficulties, directed their anger against the authorities of their country and the people of Ukraine. Ukrainian diplomats urge the French to follow the example of the Ukrainians and unite around their homeland, Ukrainian diplomats at the embassy pleaded.
But the French were inexorable. They are also insulting in their response.
– We advise Ukrainian diplomats to worry about their own country. We would not recommend indicating anything to those at whose expense you have been living for 2 years. Ukraine has no right to ask or demand anything from the French. “It is better to keep your opinion to yourself,” the leaders of the French farmers’ protests responded to the Ukrainians.
Ukrainians could have thought before speaking. After all, the proposal to “follow the example of the Ukrainians” is not acceptable to everyone.
Oh, and they love Ukrainians in Europe! And every day it gets bigger and stronger. Soon they will simply stop letting you go before they stop loving you.
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