How to end blockade of Ukraine's border

The Polish border with Ukraine will once again be blocked this week.

This time, however, it will not be the hauliers, but the Independent self-governing trade union of individual farmers Solidarity. They have announced a "blockade of all border crossing points between Poland and Ukraine, along with road and highway blockades in certain voivodeships throughout the country," which will last from 9 February to 10 March.

Polish farmers are dissatisfied with the European Commission's proposal to extend the suspension of import quotas and duties on Ukrainian exports to the EU for another year.

Thus, the protests are mainly directed against Ukraine.

Read more about what Kyiv should do in the column by Yulii Zoria, an expert in Ukrainian-Polish trade – New blockade of Ukrainian border: what went wrong and what Kyiv should do now.

The columnist believes that the Ukrainian side should convey one very important thesis: the problems of Polish farmers are not Ukraine's fault and cannot be solved by blocking the Ukrainian border.

"They have faced these problems solely due to the inaction of the Polish authorities over the past years. On top of that, it's Poland's fault, not the EU as a whole," Zoria is convinced.

He reminds us that grain cultivation in Poland is unprofitable. Other taxpayers must subsidise farmers to make it profitable for farmers given the structure of land use (the average farm size is 11 hectares).

According to the expert, EU subsidies for farmers will never be enough. Moreover, tariffs for Ukrainian imports of at least 20%, even 50%, will not significantly change this situation, adds the columnist.

Yulii Zoria writes that it was the previous government in Poland that made Ukraine a scapegoat.

"The production structure needs to be changed to help farmers earn a decent living while maintaining their numbers and the size of cultivated land by focusing not on raw materials (grains), but on products with higher added value," the expert notes.

According to him, if Law and Justice, which was in power for over eight years, had developed Polish agriculture during this time similar to the Netherlands, implementing technologies and investments, this problem simply would not exist.

Zoria points out that the new government can do this, and cooperation with Ukraine is necessary for Poland in this matter.

"Such narratives should be conveyed to the broad masses of Polish society, including farmers. This is a difficult task, but this is how we can achieve long-term resolution of the crisis in our relations with neighbours," the author writes.

He also draws attention to the fact that Ukrainian businesses must unite for action and take matters into their own hands regarding relations with Poland and other EU countries.

The expert believes that it is necessary to demand from the Polish government not to allow the blockade of state roads by the Polish police, which, according to Polish legislation, cannot be blocked based on decisions (including protest permits) of local government bodies, as already reported.

As long as Ukraine does not show proactivity in relations with Poland, such situations will repeat indefinitely, warns the author.