Polish farmers threaten to block all border crossings with Ukraine

The protests are set to resume unless Warsaw reverses an agricultural tax hike and a planned deal with South American nations

Polish farmers have warned that they will resume their blockade of the Ukrainian border next month unless the government in Warsaw agrees to their demands. The activists blocked the main crossing from Friday until late Sunday, and have given the authorities until December 10 to address their grievances.

Similar scenes have played out repeatedly in recent years, amid Polish farmers’ anger over the influx of cheap Ukrainian produce, as well as the European Union’s green policies, which the protesters claim could put them out of business.

On Monday, the Polish Press Agency quoted Roman Kondrow, the head of a regional farmers’ association, as saying: “we will write down all our demands and present them to the agriculture minister. Should the minister disregard our concerns and merely present promises, we will once again block the road and demand talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk.”

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German farmers struggling against Ukrainian grain – Bild

According to the Polish media, approximately 30 people blocked the Medyka-Shehyni crossing late last week in a protest that had initially been scheduled to last till the end of the year. They allowed one truck per hour to cross the border, with exemptions made for buses, as well as humanitarian and military cargo.

The farmers expressed their outrage at the government’s failure to honor its promise not to raise the agriculture tax and keep it at the 2023 level. They also denounced several other newly introduced regulations.

The protesters also slammed the EU plans to sign a free trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc of South American nations. They fear that the deal could result in an influx of cheap produce that would undercut Polish farmers.

Commenting on last week’s border blockade, Ukrainian authorities criticized Polish farmers for “using the border as a tool to influence their government.” Some commentators in the country were quick to point the finger at Russia, suggesting that Moscow is paying the protesters.

Back in March, tens of thousands of Polish agricultural workers simultaneously blocked roads in several hundred locations nationwide, including outside the capital, Warsaw.