Poland on Wednesday warned it might impose extra bans on Ukrainian meals merchandise if the continuing dispute over grain imports escalates additional, as Warsaw takes a more durable stance within the lead-up to the October elections.
Poland has been one in every of Ukraine’s staunchest allies since Russia invaded the nation in February 2022, however the nations are actually embroiled in a deepening battle over agricultural imports since Poland, together with Hungary and Slovakia, prolonged a ban on grain imports from their war-torn neighbor.
A World Commerce Group (WTO) spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday that Ukraine had taken step one in a commerce dispute by submitting a criticism to the worldwide commerce physique.
He didn’t identify the nations though Kyiv has beforehand stated the criticism focused Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.
Additionally on Tuesday, Ukraine stated it will impose retaliatory import curbs on sure items from Poland and Hungary if they didn’t carry their unilateral bans, drawing a response from Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
“I warn the Ukrainian authorities, as a result of in the event that they escalate this battle on this approach, we’ll add extra merchandise to the ban on import into the territory of the Republic of Poland,” Morawiecki informed Polsat Information.
Poland, Slovakia and Hungary introduced curbs on grain imports from Ukraine on Friday after the European Fee determined to not prolong a ban on gross sales into Ukraine’s 5 EU neighbors, which additionally embody Romania and Bulgaria.
The ban was launched to guard farmers there from a surge of grain and meals imports from Ukraine because the invasion largely blocked its favored routes by way of Black Sea ports.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday stated if Ukraine filed the criticism, Poland would clarify the scenario earlier than the tribunal.
He underscored that the ban regarded imports however not transit of Ukrainian grain.
“There are enterprise circles which have pursuits in Ukraine and wish to promote grain as rapidly as doable on the lowest doable value. We have now to defend ourselves in opposition to it,” he informed reporters in New York following an handle to the United Nations Common Meeting.
“I’d examine it to one thing like a drowning particular person… A drowning particular person is extraordinarily harmful as a result of he can pull you to the depths … He can merely drown the rescuer.”
‘Political theatre’
Poland will maintain parliamentary elections on Oct. 15 and the ruling nationalist Regulation and Justice (PiS) occasion is dealing with a problem from the far proper, which accuses it of being too comfortable towards Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an handle to the U.N. Common Meeting that Kyiv was “working laborious to protect the land routes for grain exports” and that the “political theatre” round grain imports was solely serving to Moscow.
His feedback weren’t obtained properly in Warsaw.
“President Zelenskyy went a number of sentences too far,” Inside Minister Mariusz Kaminski informed personal broadcaster Radio Zet on Wednesday.
In a dwell broadcast on Fb, Morawiecki stated that Warsaw was prepared to assist Kyiv however “not on the worth of destabilizing the Polish market.”
Duda stated Ukraine ought to do not forget that it receives assist from Poland.
“It will be good for Ukraine to do not forget that it receives assist from us and to do not forget that we’re additionally a transit nation to Ukraine,” he famous.
On the Ukrainian aspect, Commerce Consultant Taras Kachka appeared to maneuver to ease tensions, telling Polish personal broadcaster RMF FM that he didn’t suppose that Kyiv would introduce an embargo on Polish apples and greens.
Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus informed state-run information company PAP that he took Kachka’s feedback as a approach of “calming down a sure environment that had been constructing for 2 or three days.”