Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is concerned about a pro-Russian placard used by one of the participants in the protest of Polish farmers on 20 February. The ministry has called on protesters to distance themselves from such individuals, as it harms the country's reputation.

It concerns the placard used by a farmer calling on Putin to "bring order to Ukraine, Brussels and our government officials," alongside the use of the USSR flag.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes with the utmost concern the appearance of anti-Ukrainian slogans, which praise Vladimir Putin and the war he continues to wage, during recent farmers' blockades," the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Paweł Wroński, stated.

These actions harm the reputation of Poland, which was among the first to assist Ukraine and welcome Ukrainians fleeing the war, and also discredit the protest organisers, added the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"We are convinced that this is an attempt to 'hijack' the farmers' protest movement by radical and irresponsible groups, possibly under the influence of Russian agents. We call on protest organisers to identify and remove from their ranks the few initiators of these and similar actions," the spokesperson said.

"The current situation of Polish farmers is a result of Vladimir Putin's aggression against Ukraine and its global economic consequences, not Ukrainians defending themselves against aggression," he emphasised.

In an additional comment to RMF24, Wroński stated that the incident was shocking and discredited the protests. 

"These actions do not help either the farmers themselves or the resolution of the conflict with Ukraine. The only one who benefits from this is the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin," the spokesperson said.

He added that it doesn't matter whether pro-Russian slogans emerged through actual Russian agents or "useful idiots." 

Polish police opened a criminal case against a farmer who put up a banner calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to "bring order" on his tractor during a protest on the border with Ukraine.