Poland’s position was set out by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at a news conference on Wednesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Morawiecki met the media after holding talks with the agriculture ministers of five of Ukraine’s EU neighbours: Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, according to officials.
The Polish prime minister told reporters that, according to a decision by the EU’s executive Commission, “we must reopen the borders on September 15.”
He stated: “I want to make it clear: we will not open this border. Either the European Commission will agree to develop regulations extending this ban jointly or we will do it ourselves.”
Morawiecki added: “We’ll be tough, we’ll be firm, we’ll defend Polish farmers.”
He told reporters: “If there are further signals of destabilisation in the markets of other agricultural products - we will do the same. Because the Polish government is obliged to protect Polish agriculture. It is not against Ukraine. This is an action for Polish farmers.”
He added that Poland was still allowing the transit of Ukrainian grain as “it brings profits to Polish people and doesn’t threaten to destabilise the internal market.”
The Polish prime minister told reporters: “The war in Ukraine must not have a negative impact on Poles. That is why we closed the border with Ukraine when the flood of grain products from Ukraine began to threaten us and led to destabilisation.”
Ukraine’s EU neighbours seek extension of ban on Ukrainian grain
Meanwhile, Poland’s Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said that Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia had signed off on a joint declaration regarding the ban’s extension until at least the end of 2023, and would present it to Brussels, the Reuters news agency reported.
Telus said: "But also in the agreement is our joint declaration that we are very open to transit.”
He called on the EU to consider long-term legal and infrastructure measures because “Ukrainian and Moldovan goods will be with us for a long time,” the PAP news agency reported.
On June 5, the European Commission extended until September 15 an arrangement allowing Ukraine’s EU neighbours Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, the Reuters news agency reported at the time.
Under the arrangement, Ukrainian grain can transit these countries for export elsewhere, including to other EU countries, according to officials.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Wednesday is day 511 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, Reuters, dorzeczy.pl
