Polish farmers block Ukraine's border as they intensify protests against non-EU imports
Polish farmers have blocked border crossings with Ukraine as they intensify nationwide protest against the import of Ukrainian foods and European Union environmental policies
WARSAW, Poland — Polish farmers blocked border crossings with Ukraine, spilled Ukrainian grain and burned tires on Tuesday as they intensified a nationwide protest against the import of Ukrainian foods and European Union environmental policies.
Farmers from Spain to Italy to Belgium have been protesting recently, worried that EU’s Green Deal plan to place limits on the use of chemicals and on greenhouse gas emissions will result in a reduction in production and income. They are also in revolt against competition from non-EU countries, in particular Ukraine, a large producer of agricultural goods.
Polish farmers drove their tractors through Gdansk, Krakow and other cities, honking their horns in the noisy protest. They said their action would become ever more dramatic until their demands are met. Elsewhere they blocked the entrances to highways.
They want Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government to withdraw Poland from the Green Deal and to stop the import of agricultural imports from Ukraine. A sign on one tractor in Gdansk accused the government of caring more about Ukraine than Polish farmers. “Such a policy ruins farmers,” another sign said.
The farmers spilled Ukrainian grain in Medyka, a Polish border town, sparking the sharp criticism of the Ukrainian ambassador to Poland.
“We strongly condemn the spilling of Ukrainian grain by protesters in Medyka,” Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding: «The police should react decisively and punish those who break the law. It is also a lack of respect for the work of Ukrainian
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