In future trade negotiations between Ukraine and the European Union, Poland may become an important but controversial player. In particular, Polish positions regarding tariff-free quotas for Ukrainian products may become an obstacle to the success of these negotiations. Politico writes about it.
Poland always supports Ukraine in the war against the Russian Federation. Warsaw provides military aid, accepts refugees and defends Kyiv's interests in the EU, but the trade issue drives a wedge into the countries' relations.
The publication Politico writes that Warsaw has a negative attitude towards Ukrainian agricultural exports. These tensions cast a shadow over future negotiations to replace temporary trade measures with a long-term deal.
Ukraine's economic survival and its ability to fight back against Russia depend "now more than ever" on maintaining free trade with the EU, said Agriculture Minister Vitaly Koval.
The inability of Donald Tusk to cancel illegal restrictions on the import of Ukrainian agricultural products, introduced by his predecessors, has already become a stumbling block.
Warsaw, along with Hungary and Slovakia, is ignoring EU orders to open its markets, risking legal action from Brussels. The move underscores Poland's reluctance to fully obey EU directives, even under Tusk's ostensibly pro-European leadership.
Ahead of Poland's presidential election, Tusk will have to maintain a strong stance on agricultural issues to appeal to rural voters and counter opposition claims that he is too soft on Ukraine. His government's approach is likely to reflect a delicate balancing act between domestic priorities and EU solidarity.
Future trade negotiations will be devoted to the renewal of tariff-free quotas under the existing free trade agreement between the EU and Ukraine. This update is supposed to replace emergency measures by removing all tariffs on Ukrainian imports, which became a lifeline for Ukraine's economy after the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation.
However, these measures have provoked a corresponding reaction from the largest EU countries, such as Poland and France, as well as farmers in countries bordering Ukraine, who fear that the influx of cheap Ukrainian goods will negatively affect local producers.
In Poland, farmers have repeatedly blocked checkpoints on the border with Ukraine, slowing commercial traffic and risking disrupting the flow of humanitarian and military cargo. Blockades have broad public support in Poland.
During the upcoming renewal, Ukraine is expected to push for the greatest possible trade liberalization while maintaining broad market access for its agricultural exports. However, Poland is likely to prefer a more restrictive approach, reflecting domestic concerns about the impact of Ukrainian products on its own farmers.
The last protest action on the Ukrainian border began in the morning of November 23. The rally was supposed to last 48 hours. The mass media, citing a source in the Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food, reported that the protesters are doing this only to put pressure on their own government.
The Ukrainian embassy in Poland called the fact that the protest began on Holodomor Memorial Day "a particularly painful paradox."
Later, the Polish farmers decided to suspend the protest until December 10. By this time, the Minister of Agriculture must respond to the demands.
