Kyiv awaits urgent Warsaw's response on proposal to settle border blockade
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine has submitted proposals to the European Commission on the resolution of the Poland border blockade. An urgent response is needed, says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Made in Ukraine platform, according to RBC-Ukraine correspondent.
"The proposals have been submitted to the European Commission and have been voiced to colleagues from Poland. Now we need to do everything to resolve the situation," Zelenskyy said. He thanked farmers and businesses for understanding and behaving decently at the border.
As clarified to RBC-Ukraine First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine agrees to continue monitoring the supply of three goods - eggs, sugar, and poultry, but has no intention to expand the list of monitored goods as proposed by Poland.
"We do not agree to expand the list," Svyrydenko said.
She also adds that the president instructed to urgently resolve the issue at the border, so Ukraine is awaiting a response from Poland as soon as possible. "We are waiting for a response from Poland, and we will not wait until March 28," she said.
Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he was ready to meet with representatives of Ukraine on March 28.
Plans of the Polish government and Kyiv's response
Polish farmers started blocking the border with Ukraine again on February 9, demanding to cancel the decision on duty-free trade between Ukraine and the EU.
Polish Minister of Agriculture Czesław Siekierski stated last week that his ministry wanted to develop a bilateral agreement with Ukraine that would expand the scope of market protection, including other sensitive products such as sugar, poultry, eggs, berries, honey, apple juice, and oil.
As reported by RBC-Ukraine, if Poland expands trade bans unilaterally, Ukraine may take retaliatory measures and impose a ban on the import of Polish goods, primarily fruits and dairy products.
