Following disputes over imports of Ukrainian grain between Poland and Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Sunday the decision to impose a unilateral ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products was the right one.
In May, the European Union (EU) restricted the sales of imported Ukrainian grain in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia since the imports are undercutting those countries agricultural sectors and forcing down domestic grain prices. Last week, the bloc lifted the measures, a decision that was immediately rejected by Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia.
However, Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi said on Thursday he and his Polish counterpart had agreed to "find a solution that takes into account the interests of both countries" after a phone conversation discussing grain imports.
Westward land exports of grain have become vital for Ukraine due to the intermittent Russian blockade of its Black Sea ports amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the opposition from central European partners as "political theater" that was "helping set the stage for a Moscow actor." The Polish government then reacted angrily, summoning Ukraine's ambassador.
In an interview with local channel TVP1, Duda said he believes the decision to maintain the ban on the sale of Ukrainian grain was correct.
"I believe that it is the right decision that the Polish government has maintained the ban on the sale of Ukrainian grain on the Polish market. However, we must do everything to ensure that transit is as high as possible," Duda said on Sunday.
As a result, Duda added that his country has prepared transit corridors for Ukrainian grain to pass through and be exported where it's needed.
"Thanks to the work of our farmers, we are self-sufficient. We don't need grain from Ukraine. Their excellent harvests, during the war, reached very little of the countries that actually needed them. Transit corridors have been prepared in Poland, thanks to which Ukrainian grain can pass through Poland and be exported where it is needed. We are trying to help Ukraine and those countries that require this help," the Polish president said.
This comes after Kyiv filed lawsuits against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for their decision to continue to ban its grain imports.
"It is fundamentally important for us to prove that individual member states cannot ban the import of Ukrainian goods. That is why we are filing lawsuits against them in the WTO," First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliya Svyridenko said in a statement.
In addition, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Wednesday that Warsaw will no longer transfer weapons to Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia. "We are no longer transferring any weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming ourselves with the most modern weapons," he told Polsat News.
Despite the tension between the two, Ukraine hopes to maintain its relationship with Poland.
"The most important thing now is to retain our strategic partnership and friendship between Ukraine and Poland," Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and chair of the body's foreign affairs committee, previously told Newsweek.
He added: "Poland is one of our biggest supporters and true friend. Any misunderstanding between our countries plays into hands of Russia. I believe that we should wait till parliamentary elections in Poland are over and be patient."
Newsweek reached out to Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and Duda via email for comment.
