On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the Polish leaders to meet him at their shared border to resolve a blockade by Polish farmers protesting Ukrainian food imports.
Meanwhile, Polish authorities expressed concern following the appearance of slogans at the protests praising Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war against Ukraine.
Zelensky Invites Polish Leaders To Discuss Farmers' Protest
BERLIN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 16: Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky speaks at the joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Chancellery on February 16, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Zelensky is in Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference. Scholz has been an outspoken supporter of military and financial aid to Ukraine, particularly as he seeks to rally other European nations to commit more in the face of what will very possibly be dwindling American support for Ukraine. Germany is the second largest donor of assistance to Ukraine after the USA.
Zelensky said on social media on Wednesday that he hoped to meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and a representative of the European Union across the border before the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Saturday.
The Ukrainian president said this is national security and noted that he is ready to be at the border with their government. He said that they have had enough misunderstanding and they should not humiliate Ukraine and Polish farmers.
He noted that they need solutions between Ukraine and Poland and at the level of the whole of Europe. However, the Polish government did not respond immediately. Zelensky added that Ukraine could not tolerate the appearance of banners endorsing Putin at the demonstrations after one such banner was displayed on Tuesday.
Poland, a member of NATO and the EU has been a steadfast ally of Ukraine since Russia began its full-scale invasion, offering Ukraine weapons and accepting unlimited numbers of refugees. Poland primarily favors Ukraine due to the past oppression by Moscow rooted deeply in generational memory.
However, tensions have escalated as Polish farmers accuse Ukrainian grain and food imports of increasing prices and harming their livelihoods. Polish farmers are among the European farmers who have been opposing EU environmental policies and competition from Ukraine, which they say will increase their production costs.
On Tuesday, they organized a major protest day that blocked almost all traffic on the border with Ukraine, infuriating Kyiv in an escalation from previous protests.
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Protesters Reject Government's Proposal
According to BBC News, protesting Indian farmers said they would resume marching back to the capital, Delhi, this week after they rejected a government plan to purchase some crops on a five-year contract at guaranteed prices.
When they started their march last week, the protesters were stopped about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Delhi. Since then, farmer leaders have discussed their demands with the government.
The government had proposed to purchase cotton, maize, and pulses at guaranteed floor prices, also known as Minimum Support Price or MSP, through cooperatives for five years. On Monday night, they claimed the offer was "not in their interest."
Furthermore, the farmers said they would not back down from their demand for a legal guarantee for MSP on all 23 crops.
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, a farm union leader, told local media that they appeal to the government to either resolve their issues or remove barricades and allow them to proceed to Delhi to protest peacefully.
Related Article: Polish Farmers' Protest: Demonstrators Use Tractors To Block Much of Ukraine's Border
