Anti-Ukrainian slogans heard at the border confirm the politically motivated nature of the action, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said. The Ukrainian diplomatic department calls on the Polish authorities to provide a legal assessment of the actions of the protesters and ensure the unblocking of the border.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that the blocking of the Polish-Ukrainian border, no matter what slogans it is accompanied by, has no justification.
A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was published by department spokesman Oleg Nikolenko.
“Land borders remain important in the context of Russian aggression. The actions of Polish protesters and individual radical Polish politicians expose the Ukrainian economy and resistance to repelling Russian aggression. The border between Poland and Ukraine is also the border of the EU. He should not be a hostage to any political interests,” the message says.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also considers unacceptable the aggressive attitude of protesters towards Ukrainians and Ukrainian cargo that cross the Polish border. -Ukrainian border.
“Anti-Ukrainian slogans heard at the border confirm the politically motivated nature of the action. Its goal is to provoke a further deterioration in bilateral relations. At the same time, the protesters do not in any way mention the threats associated with the import of grain and other types of agricultural products from Russia and other countries,” the message says.
The Ukrainian diplomatic department calls on the Polish authorities to give legal assess the actions of the protesters, ensure the unblocking of the border and take measures to humiliate anti-Ukrainian rhetoric based on baseless arguments.
“In conditions of external testing, it is very important to maintain the level of solidarity that Ukraine and Poland have built in recent years. Ukrainians and Poles must defend good neighborly relations, repel any attempts to undermine mutual trust and jeopardize the security of our states,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry emphasized.
Blockade of Ukrainian exports on the border with Poland
- This morning, Polish protesters blocked the railway near the Shegini state of emergency and poured Ukrainian grain out of the carriage. One of the co-organizers of the blocking said that the protesters are pouring out grain “because of emotions” and the organizers cannot influence them.
- Earlier, Polish protesters said that on February 20 they were going to block all border crossings with Ukraine. As the protesters said in a statement, “not only border crossings will be blocked, but also communication centers and access roads to railway stations and seaports.”
- For their part, Polish hunters said they would join the farmers’ protests.
- This is not the first time that Polish protesters have poured out Ukrainian grain. On February 11, during the border blockade, Polish farmers spilled grain, which farmers grow and collect despite shelling and mining, from three Ukrainian trucks. The grain had to go to Lithuania. Polish police said they were investigating the incident.
- Poland's Minister of Agriculture called the grain spillage “an act of despair” and criticized the indignation of Ukrainian officials.