While Polish farmers continue their protests against incoming Ukrainian goods, they do so more and more intensely. A recent spilling of 180 tonnes of Ukrainian grain from freight wagons marks a new low for the transit of Ukrainian products through Poland. Ukraine has now appealed to the Polish government to ‘do everything under the sun’ to resolve the increasingly hostile situation.
This weekend, Polish farmers took their protest activity a step further and spilled nearly 180 tonnes of Ukrainian corn from freight wagons. The incident took place 150 kilometres from the port city of Gdańsk, from which the grain was to be exported beyond Poland. It is the fourth incident of sabotage against the transport of Ukrainian products via rail by Polish farmers.
Continuous protests
The Polish farmers’ have long been protesting the import and transit of Ukrainian agricultural goods by blocking border crossings. While the Polish government banned the import of Ukrainian grain as a result of the protests, its transit and import of numerous other Ukrainian agricultural products remains legal. The stated primary concern of the protesting farmers are the low prices of Ukrainian agricultural goods, which supposedly undermine the profitability of Polish farmers.
After a short break in protest activity, Polish farmers announced a resumption of protest activity on 9 February. This time around, they stated that rail transportation would also be targeted. Soon after, the farmers delivered on their promise, blocking rail hubs and spilling Ukrainian grain.
The Ukrainian government has raised concerns and appealed to their Polish counterparts to ‘do everything under the sun’ to resolve the situation. Ukrainian ambassador Vasyl Zvarych called upon Poland to identify and prosecute those responsible for the grain spillings. ‘The perpetrators of such barbarism harm not only Ukraine, but also Poland,’ according to Zvarych.
Truckers
Meanwhile, Polish truckers have announced a restart of their protest activities from 1 March after a break since 16 January. Much like the farmers, they are concerned about competition from their Ukrainian counterparts and organised border blockades. The EU has scrapped the need for Ukrainian truckers to obtain special permits to work in EU member states in order to boost Ukraine’s exports during wartime. The truckers want to reinstate the need for a permit for Ukrainian truckers.
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