Vasovia announced on Wednesday that it was no longer supplying weapons to kyiv. A statement which illustrates the increasingly strong tensions between the two allies.
“We are no longer transferring any weapons to Ukraine”, declared Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Wednesday September 20. He did not specify when his country, one of the largest arms suppliers to Ukraine, had stopped these deliveries, but this latest statement illustrates the growing divisions between the two countries, at a time key to the response led by Kiev against Russia.
>> War in Ukraine: follow the latest developments in the conflict live
However, since the start of the war in Ukraine, Poland has been among kyiv’s close allies. Warsaw has hosted more than 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees and provided more than 11.9 billion euros in aid to its neighbor. The country had even taken the lead in a coalition of states campaigning to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine, recalls The world. How can we explain this about-face? Response elements.
Zelensky accused Poland of “feigning” solidarity
The announcement by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki came a few hours after the summons “emergency” by Warsaw of the Ukrainian ambassador to challenge the remarks of President Volodymyr Zelensky made at the UN podium on Wednesday. During his speech, the Ukrainian president criticized that “some countries feign solidarity [avec l’Ukraine] by indirectly supporting Russia”, directly alluding to Poland.
In response, the Polish Deputy Foreign Minister denounced this “false thesis” And “particularly unjustified concerning Poland” who supports Ukraine “since the first days of the war”. “Putting pressure on Poland in multilateral forums” is not a “appropriate method to resolve disputes between our countries.”warned Polish diplomacy. “We call on our Polish friends to put emotion aside”reacted Ukrainian diplomacy.
Warsaw continues to ban the import of Ukrainian grain
Tensions between the two countries rose a notch a week ago, when Poland decided to extend the ban on imports of Ukrainian cereals. Since the start of the Russian invasion, which hampers access to the Black Sea, Kiev’s neighboring countries have become essential transit routes for the transport of Ukrainian grain to Africa and the Middle East.
However, in May 2022, the EU lifted customs duties making the prices of Ukrainian wheat, corn and even rapeseed advantageous compared to national production. Faced with this competition and in order to “protect [leurs] farmers”, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have decreed a unilateral embargo on these products. These temporary restrictions were authorized by Brussels, subject to maintaining the passage of cereals to other destinations.
>> Why some European countries have decided to ban imports of Ukrainian grain
This authorization expired on September 15 and the European Commission decided not to renew it, citing “the disappearance of distortions” commercial and improvement of transport conditions. But Poland refused to follow this decision and announced that it would extend the embargo, in violation of the decision taken by the Commission, which has sole jurisdiction over EU trade policy. “In the interests of Polish farmers and consumers, we are taking national measures”declared the spokesperson for the Polish government.
In retaliation, Ukraine therefore announced a complaint before the World Trade Organization against the three countries having extended the embargo: Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. Inflexible, the Polish Prime Minister warned that he would expand the list of Ukrainian products banned from import if kyiv intensified its retaliation.
Warsaw prepares for parliamentary elections
This crisis comes as Poland prepares for legislative elections on October 15. In view of this deadline, the populist right-wing government has made the issue of Ukrainian grain a campaign issue. “We will undoubtedly defend the interests of Polish farmers”said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, whose Law and Justice (PiS) party enjoys strong support in agricultural regions.
“Farmers are an electoral pillar of PiS, which received more than 70% of their votes in the 2019 elections”observed with Release Edit Zgut-Przybylska, political scientist at the Polish Academy of Sciences. “Foreign policy [polonaise] remains subordinate to the domestic political interests of the ruling populist elite.” To maintain its rural electoral base, the PiS has thus increased aid, in particular by subsidizing cereal growers in proportion to the surface area of their farms, illustrates Release.
Still in this electoral context, the Polish president Andrzej Duda increased his criticism of kyiv on Monday. “Ukraine is like a drowning person (…). A drowning person is extremely dangerous, capable of dragging his savior into the depths,” quote him Financial Times. The Polish government is also considering not extending the current aid granted to Ukrainian refugees. “These regulations will simply expire next year”declared the spokesperson for the Polish government, mentioned by the British daily.