Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a pause in order to end the increasingly tense diplomatic spat between Ukraine and Poland, writes Politico.
Kyiv summoned Warsaw’s ambassador on Tuesday morning, the 1st of August, after a senior Polish foreign ministry official said Ukraine should show more gratitude for the support it has received from Poland since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Zelensky said: “We greatly appreciate the historical support of Poland, which together with us has become a real shield of Europe from sea to sea. And there cannot be a single crack in this shield.”
He added that he would not allow political flare-ups to damage relations between Ukrainians and Poles
and that emotions should be controlled.
Since Moscow’s invasion in February 2022, Poland has been one of the loudest supporters of Kyiv. However, in recent months, relations with Kyiv have been adversely affected by Warsaw’s decision to extend the ban on exports of Ukrainian agricultural products, which Poland sees as a threat to local farmers.
Initially, the dispute broke out over grains, but now it also covers berries. Polish growers have begun to complain that cheap imported products from Ukraine create unfair competition.
The disagreements intensified after Ukraine summoned the Polish ambassador to give a complaint
about the Polish official’s remarks.
Marcin Przydacz, head of Poland’s International Policy Office, told Polish media that Kyiv should begin to appreciate what Poland has done for Ukraine, prompting a wave of anger from Ukrainian officials. This in turn worried Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. He said that the summoning of the Polish ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine should never have happened. “Given the enormity of the support Poland has given Ukraine, such mistakes should not happen,” said Morawiecki.
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