Poland proposes to the EU to cancel trade privileges granted to Ukraine after the war
7 March 2024 15:51
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said that Poland proposes to the EU to cancel all trade benefits that Ukraine received after the outbreak of a full-scale war. This was reported by WProst, according to Kommersant Ukrainian 
Tusk announced “serious news” for farmers on Saturday, 9 March. He added that he is planning a visit to Bucharest, during which he plans to talk to the heads of European institutions, prime ministers and presidents.
“I will also talk in Bucharest with the heads of European institutions, prime ministers and presidents about the need for changes that will protect the European market and Polish producers. By changes, we mean more or less a return to the rules that were in place in trade with Ukraine and other countries before the war. We want to help Ukraine very much, but we have to protect the European agricultural market, Polish producers and the basic interests of farmers,”
– he said.
Tusk stressed that Poland is also negotiating in Brussels on possible changes to the Green Deal.
“We are trying to get solutions that will also allow Polish farmers to breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to the most serious issues related to the Green Deal. I am in constant contact with Brussels. I would like no one to spoil this issue. We are close to the finish line,”
– said the Polish Prime Minister.
Donald Tusk will meet with farmers
On Saturday at 10:00, Donald Tusk is scheduled to meet with the protesting farmers.
“I promised that I would inform farmers about the measures taken. They will appreciate them. There is progress in the negotiations, and I want to assure the protesters that I want these changes to last. We have to do everything to effectively protect Polish producers when products from Ukraine are not subject to duties. I have every reason to believe that we will be able to achieve results that will satisfy Polish farmers,”
– the Polish Prime Minister concluded.
Tusk also noted that during the farmers’ protests, “there were people who committed violence against the security forces for political reasons”. According to him, this is “a fairly typical, unpleasant and dramatic course of events, but a typical course of protest”.
On 6 March, Polish farmers staged a large-scale strike in Warsaw for the second time, including setting tyres on fire outside the office of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk .
The day before, Polish Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Sekerski said that due to the difficult situation of Polish farmers, Poland would demand changes to the Green Deal from the EU.
Border blockade
on9 February 2024, Polish farmers launched a new nationwide strike and blockade of the border with Ukraine, which will last until 10 March. The initiator was the independent farmers’ trade union Solidarity. The main demand of the protesters is to cancel the preferential trade regime with Ukraine and to return the permit system for importing goods into Poland.
Meanwhile, Poland has already imposed an embargo on Ukrainian grain, Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak said.
Polish Minister of Development and Technology Krzysztof Hetman, in turn, said that Poland could impose an embargo on all Ukrainian agricultural products.
Ukrainians responded by blocking the border for Polish trucks.
The situation is deteriorating every day. There are cases of Ukrainian agricultural products in transit being dumped in Poland. For example, on the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, on 24 February, at around 9am, unknown persons damaged freight wagons with beans. On 25 February, eight wagons with Ukrainian corn were opened.
On 26 February, Polish farmers began blocking the border with Germany to prevent Ukrainian grain from entering the German market.
