– Transportation? Yes. Export? Yes. Instability and destabilization of the Polish market? No. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said so in an interview broadcast on the Polish TV channel Polsat News on Wednesday evening. Morawiecki announced with it that the country will stop sending weapons to Ukraine. He gives two reasons why. Disagreement in a grain agreement and that they need the weapons themselves. SUPPORTS UKRAINE: Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stops arms exports to Ukraine, but still stands on the Ukrainian side in the war. Photo: KACPER PEMPEL / Reuters On Thursday, on the other hand, President Andrzej Duda stated that the Prime Minister’s statement about stopping arms support to Ukraine was misinterpreted, reports AFP. – Mateusz Morawiecki’s words were interpreted in the worst possible way. In my opinion, the prime minister meant that we do not want to give the new weapons that we are currently buying to modernize the Polish army, Duda told TV station TVN24 TV on Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj and Polish President Andrzej Duda from an earlier meeting. Photo: Efrem Lukatsky / AP Solidarity Road After the war broke out in Ukraine last year, it has been difficult to export grain from Ukraine to other countries in Europe. That is why the EU chose in May to introduce solidarity roads through Europe – to be able to transport the Ukrainian grain without going through the Black Sea, and to strengthen Ukraine’s economy. It became even more difficult in July. Then Russia refused to pass on the grain agreement, which ensures Ukrainian ships with grain, safe passage through the Black Sea. Ukraine is therefore now extra dependent on solidarity avenues. Ukrainian grain exports have led to discord between Ukraine and neighboring countries. In the picture, a worker takes an analysis in a Ukrainian ship that has docked in Istanbul. Photo: YASIN AKGUL / AFP Price drop But these corridors have led to Ukrainian grain piling up in the Central European transit countries. This has led to an abundance of, and a drop in the price of, grain, which in turn has hit local farmers, who are now reporting a deficit. In order to protect the neighboring countries’ agriculture, the EU introduced an interim ban on the import of Ukrainian grain to Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. But last week the ban was lifted. Thus, Ukraine will once again be able to send its grain through the neighboring European countries. In Romania, farmers demonstrated in April against the EU decision on cheaper Ukrainian grain, which pushed up prices in neighboring countries. Photo: DANIEL MIHAILESCU / AFP Desperate farmers Poland, Hungary and Slovakia defy this, and continue their own bans. In addition, Romania is asking the EU to extend the ban, Reuters reports. Bulgaria is the only country where the authorities have not shown dissatisfaction with the repeal. In contrast, Bulgarian farmers have protested, reports the news agency Ap. – Cheaper products with lower quality than ours are sold in the shops, said a despairing Bulgarian farmer to Ap. These bans now make it difficult for Ukraine to export grain. Farmers in Bulgaria protested against the government lifting the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain on 19 September. Photo: NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV / AFP Chain reaction of bans President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has reacted to the bans from the three countries. He called the whole thing political theatre, which only benefits Moscow, according to Reuters. In addition, Ukraine complained about the import ban to the World Trade Organization on Tuesday, reports Politico. This has led to a chain reaction of bans. Ukraine responded to the import ban by banning Polish products, which in turn has led to Poland now wanting to ban arms exports to Ukraine. Prioritize own weapons stockpile – We were the first to do a lot for Ukraine, and therefore we expect them to understand our interests, said the Polish Prime Minister in the TV interview. Last summer, Morawiecki announced that Poland would enter into an arms agreement with Ukraine. He describes the agreement as “one of the largest, if not the very largest agreement on arms exports in the last 30 years”. Poland has reportedly sent tanks and fighter jets to Ukraine. But now the country would rather prioritize upgrading its own arsenal: – We will instead focus on equipping our own defense with modern weapons, said the Polish Prime Minister, according to Polsat News. Mateusz Morawiecki belongs to the national conservative party Law and Justice. Photo: KACPER PEMPEL / Reuters All this is happening less than a month before the Polish elections, which are on 15 October. The Law and Justice party, to which Mateusz Morawiecki belongs, is a national conservative party that values national interests. They should be particularly popular among farmers. Will find a solution A spokesperson for the government clarified on Thursday that already agreed arms deliveries with Ukraine will be delivered. Ukraine’s and Poland’s agriculture ministers are said to have agreed in a telephone conversation to find a solution to the conflict between the two countries. This was announced by Ukraine’s Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday, according to Reuters. On Thursday, the White House also announced the strengthening of Ukrainian air defenses US President Joe Biden will announce “significant” strengthening of Ukraine’s air defenses, reports AFP. Hear also:
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Our suspension of arms support to Ukraine was misinterpreted – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
