"It is with utmost concern that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes anti-Ukrainian slogans as well as those that praise Vladimir Putin and his war, which have appeared during recent farmers’ blockades," the Polish foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Activities of this kind cast shadow over Poland, which was the first country to help the invaded Ukraine, and over Poles, who welcomed Ukrainian refugees," it added. "Importantly, they are a disgrace to the protests’ organisers themselves."
'Extreme and irresponsible circles, probably influenced by Russia’s secret collaborators'
The statement further said: "In our opinion, it is an attempt to take over the farmers’ protest movement made by extreme and irresponsible circles, probably influenced by Russia’s secret collaborators."
The Polish foreign ministry called on the protest organisers to "identify and eliminate the few initiators of such and similar actions from their movement for the sake of Poland’s raison d’état and the chance to meet their demands, which are in large part right."
It also stated that "the current situation of Polish farmers results from Vladimir Putin’s aggression against Ukraine and instability of the global economy, not from Ukrainians fending off the aggression."
Polish farmers have blocked the country's border with Ukraine and disrupted traffic nationwide in an intensifying protest against what they say are unfair European Union policies leading to an influx of cheap produce from Ukraine.
Zelensky asks Polish leaders to help resolve border blockade
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday instructed government officials "to come to the border with Poland by February 24 to resolve the issue of the blockade," Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported.
He also appealed to Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda "to come to the border and support this dialogue."
Zelensky said: “I have instructed our government to come to the border between our countries in the near future, by February 24. The Prime Minister of Ukraine, our entire government, from logistics to the agricultural sector, and, of course, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, as this blockade on the border, unfortunately, increases the threat to the weapons supply to our guys at the front."
He added: "And I urge you, Donald, Mr. Prime Minister, to come to the border as well. And Andrzej, Mr. President, I urge you to support this dialogue. This is national security. We must not delay this. The next few days give us a chance to do so."
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Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl, ukrinform.net