Ukrainian PM regards border blockade as senseless, cites export from Russia as Polish issue
Photo: Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The reason for the problems of Polish farmers is the export of agricultural products from Russia and Belarus. Currently, 90% of Ukraine's exports go through the Black Sea and Danube ports, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
"The blocking of the border by Polish farmers today is pointless because more than 90% of our exports go by sea or through the Danube ports, and less than 5% move by road," he says.
According to him, during the trip to the border, government officials proposed 5 steps for Poland to resolve the blockade, the Polish government is considering them, and some of them are already in communication with the Polish government.
Denys Shmyhal expresses hope that "Polish farmers will understand the statistics and the causes of their troubles, which we associate with the export of grain and food from Russia and Belarus, which must be stopped for the EU countries and Poland in particular."
Border blockade
Polish farmers began blockading the border with Ukraine on February 9, demanding that the decision on duty-free trade between Ukraine and the EU be canceled.
The Latvian government has banned grain imports from Russia and is demanding that the European Union take the same step, as all Russian agricultural products can be replaced by goods from Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland will "carefully" analyze the consequences of Latvia's decision to ban imports of Russian food and does not rule out that it will take appropriate steps.
