Warsaw underestimates expectations from the joint meeting of the governments of Ukraine and Poland

On the day of the meeting of the governments of Ukraine and Poland in Warsaw on March 28, a prominent representative of the Polish government called to refrain from hoping for a faster settlement of problematic issues, primarily the issue of trade in agricultural products, which complicates relations between the two partner countries.

Poland is a key ally of Ukraine and a leading state in the international coalition formed to help defend Ukraine against Russian aggression.

But after the European Union opened its market for Ukrainian goods in order to support Ukraine’s economy during the war, friction between Kyiv and Warsaw appeared over the import of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products.

The head of the office of the Polish Prime Minister Jan Grabiec, commenting on the Ukrainian-Polish intergovernmental meeting, said that now he does not expect a settlement of differences between the Ukrainian and Polish sides, particularly regarding agrarian issues.

“It is difficult to hope for any special understanding after those conversations, for example, in matters of agriculture,” the official warned in an interview with the PAP news agency.

Jan Grabiec noted that disagreements remain at a time when Polish government officials, in his words, firmly stand “on the side of the valid demands of Polish farmers, which concern the Polish market.”

Partnership and competition

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has opened its border to millions of Ukrainian refugees, and hundreds of thousands of them have found refuge on Polish territory.

Poland has also become one of the most important donors of military aid to Ukraine and facilitates the transit of international aid to Ukrainian territory.

The new Polish government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, like the previous one, declares solidarity with Ukraine.

But Tusk insists that he is obliged to listen to the demands of his farmers, who complain about competition from Ukrainian products.

Contrary to the position of the EU since last year, Poland, like several other neighbors of Ukraine, maintains a ban on the import of Ukrainian grain, claiming that it only allows transit.

Polish farmers, together with anti-Ukrainian political activists, staged a spectacular blockade of transport on the border with Ukraine.