oland’s prime minister has introduced the nation will not provide weapons to Ukraine however arm itself as an alternative amid a rising dispute over grain imports.
Poland has been certainly one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies since Russia’s invasion, however tensions between the 2 nations escalated shortly after Poland, Hungary and Slovakia prolonged a unliateral ban on Ukrainian farm imports to guard native farmer pursuits.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated in a televised handle on Wednesday: “We’re not transferring weapons to Ukraine, as a result of we are actually arming Poland with extra trendy weapons.”
The announcement is available in response to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s feedback to the United Nations Basic Meeting. He stated Kyiv was working to protect land routes for grain exports, however added that the “political theatre” round grain imports was solely serving to Russia.
Poland summoned Kyiv’s envoy to the overseas ministry on Wednesday, whereas Ukraine’s overseas ministry known as for calm within the dispute.
Poland, Slovakia and Hungary introduced curbs on grain imports from Ukraine on Friday after the European Fee determined to not lengthen a ban on gross sales into 5 EU states, together with Romania and Bulgaria.
The ban was launched to guard farmers from a surge of grain and meals imports from Ukraine, after Russia’s invasion largely blocked Ukraine’s routes by way of Black Sea ports.
Poland’s overseas ministry stated Deputy International Minister Pawel Jablonski had “conveyed the Polish aspect’s robust protest in opposition to the statements” made by President Zelensky on the UN Basic Meeting, “alleging that some EU nations feigned solidarity whereas not directly supporting Russia”.
It stated Mr Jablonski additionally informed Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych that “placing strain on Poland in multilateral boards or sending complaints to worldwide tribunals aren’t applicable strategies of resolving disputes between our nations”.
Ukrainian International Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko, writing on Fb, stated: “We urge our Polish mates to place apart their feelings. The Ukrainian aspect has provided Poland a constructive path to resolve the grain problem.”
Mr Nikolenko stated Ukraine’s ambassador defined their place on the “unacceptability” of the Polish ban and steered Kyiv’s proposals “will turn into the premise for shifting the dialogue right into a constructive course”.
Ukraine’s ambassador additionally underlined the “incorrectness” of remarks by Polish President Andrzej Duda in New York that Ukraine ought to do not forget that it receives assist from Poland, he added.
Mr Duda had likened Kyiv to a “drowning individual”.
Romanian Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu, in the meantime, stated Bucharest would work with Ukraine over the subsequent 30 days on a grain export management plan to assist defend Romanian farmers.
A World Commerce Organisation spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that Ukraine had taken step one in a commerce dispute by submitting a grievance to the worldwide commerce physique.
He didn’t title the nations though Kyiv has beforehand stated the grievance focused Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.
Additionally on Tuesday, Ukraine stated it might impose retaliatory import curbs on sure items from Poland and Hungary if they didn’t raise their unilateral bans, drawing a response from Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
“I warn the Ukrainian authorities, as a result of in the event that they escalate this battle on this manner, we are going to add extra merchandise to the ban on import into the territory of the Republic of Poland,” Morawiecki informed Polsat Information.
