Zelensky's adviser commented on the farmers' protests. An appeal to the Polish government
“We understand that you support your farmers (…) And continue to support them, but not at the expense of Ukraine,” said Mykhailo Podolak in reference to the protests in Poland.
The past week was marked by violent protests by farmers against the restrictions included in the EU Green Deal and the free inflow of Ukrainian agricultural products to Poland. On Wednesday, there was an escalation in front of the Sejm, and several officers were injured. The capital police published images of men wanted in connection with the riots. The head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, also announced on TVN24 that the police actions recorded on the recordings would be analyzed.
Podolak on farmers' protests. “EU regulations do not depend on us”
Mykhailo Podolak, advisor to the President of Ukraine, commented on the protesters' demands in an interview with “Dziennik Gazeta Prawna”. He said that although he did not want to give advice to the Polish authorities on their internal affairs, it seemed to him “that your (Polish – ed.) government could communicate certain issues better.” “We understand that you support producers and want them to sell as much as possible. And continue to support them, but not at the expense of Ukraine,” he said. He added that Ukraine imports from Poland three times more than it exports. He appealed not to close the borders.
He also drew attention to the differences in agriculture in Poland and his country. He said that there are many small farms in Poland, which means it is impossible to communicate with everyone and “someone can always block something.” “I think it is up to Poland to make appropriate decisions regarding the regulation of agricultural policy as part of the agreement with the EC. It seems to me that your authorities are not ready to accept the concepts proposed by Brussels. And here I come back to the question: how can Ukraine communicate with Poland? This is a matter of regulations, and they do not depend on us. Agreements on specific groups of goods depend on us, which is what Szmyhal and Tusk are talking about. They will finally agree on some restrictions. But this is a broader issue of pan-European regulations,” he said.
Despite this, Zelensky's adviser said that Poland and Ukraine have reached a historically new level of relations, which are now allies. “However, there are also technical nuances that are a bit painful for us,” he added.
