Kyiv considers anti-Ukrainian rallies in Poland unacceptable - Foreign Ministry
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers anti-Ukrainian rallies in Poland unacceptable and expects the Polish authorities to respond appropriately to rhetoric that harms bilateral relations.
This was stated by Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko on Facebook, Censor.NET reports.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers anti-Ukrainian rallies in Poland unacceptable.
The most recent examples are particularly radical manifestations - the damage to Ukrainian grain at the border and yesterday's demonstration of farmers in Wroclaw with anti-Ukrainian slogans.
These actions, in addition to the blocking of the Polish-Ukrainian border, not only cause numerous losses to the Ukrainian economy, which is already suffering from Russian aggression but also violate the principles of Ukrainian-Polish solidarity.
Ukrainians pay with their lives for Polish and other European cities to live in peace. This should not be forgotten or taken for granted.
Any attempts to weaken Ukraine's economy with radical or anti-market measures will only undermine its ability to deter Russian aggression and create additional threats to Poland's security and well-being.
Ukraine is deeply grateful to both the Polish authorities and Polish citizens for all their support and assistance during these two years of Russia's full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian side has always advocated a constructive approach to resolving issues related to the transit of Ukrainian grain and trade.
We expect that the Polish authorities will adhere to a similar approach, including in the issues of effective prevention of illegal actions against Ukrainian cargo and proper response to rhetoric that harms bilateral relations.
We are convinced that any attempts to undermine the foundation of solidarity between our countries and peoples will not succeed. Ukraine is determined to strengthen relations of friendship and mutual respect with Poland, with which it shares a common European future," the statement reads.
Blocking the border with Ukraine in Poland
On February 9, Polish farmers began blocking several checkpoints on the border with Ukraine. According to the organizers of the strike from the independent farmers' trade union Solidarity, the blocking of roads near the checkpoints will last until March 10. On February 20, they plan to completely block all checkpoints on the Polish-Ukrainian border.
The protesters say that the problem for the profitability of agricultural production is "an uncontrolled influx of goods from Ukraine after the opening of the EU border."
On February 11, near the Dorohusk border crossing, protesters broke the customs seals of three trucks traveling from Ukraine, causing grain to partially spill onto the road. It is estimated that about a ton of grain spilled out of each truck.
The district prosecutor's office in Chłom began an investigation into the incident.
Poland's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Czeslaw Sekerski apologized for the Ukrainian grain spilled by farmers.
