Polish farmers declare a blockade of the Ukrainian border.
(Baonghean.vn) - Roman Kondruv, leader of the "Deceived Village," said that Polish farmers were the first to help their "Ukrainian brothers," and now their livelihoods are being literally destroyed by cheap Ukrainian grain.
According to RT news agency on February 21, Polish farmers across the country took to the streets on February 20 to protest. They demanded that the European Union abandon the Green Deal, and above all, they wanted to stop the flow of cheap grain from Ukraine to Poland. Furthermore, Polish farmers are blockading the entire border with Ukraine and demanding that all their rights be addressed.
"None of our demands have been met. The farmers will stand firm and not back down. We are flooded with grain from Ukraine. They say we are fighting against Ukraine. But quite the opposite, we were the first to help our Ukrainian brothers. And today they are harming us," Roman Kondruv, leader of the "Deceived Village," explained in an interview with RMF FM.
Mr. Kondruv emphasized that Polish farmers are extremely disappointed with the new government, and suggested that Prime Minister Tusk visit the border checkpoints to see firsthand the difficult situation and find ways to ease tensions.
Kondruv complained that the volume of Polish agricultural products supplied to the domestic market was declining drastically. "We have nowhere else to sell our grain," he lamented.
On behalf of Polish farmers, Kondruv appealed to the European Union to help not only Ukraine, but also Polish farmers, in the Ukrainian conflict.
According to Kondruv, thousands of tons of grain are stored in Polish warehouses, and he estimates his losses at 350,000 zloty. He also warned that Polish farmers would block cars and buses crossing the border between the two countries.
Adrian Wawrzyniak, spokesman for the Solidarity farmers' association, warned: "We will completely block all traffic at border crossings."
Mr. Wawrzyniak also stated that military aid convoys would be allowed to pass through the border crossing, but all passenger transport would be blocked, not just trucks. He warned that farmers could block ports and highways.
This is seen as an escalation of the tensions that have existed for some time. Previously, protests by Polish truck drivers and farmers only blocked certain border crossings.
