The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called on the Polish authorities to provide a legal assessment of the actions of the participants of the actions blocking the border of Ukraine, to ensure the unblocking of the border and to take measures to stop anti-Ukrainian rhetoric.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to the actions of Polish protesters
The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Oleg Nikolenko, noted that the blocking of the Polish-Ukrainian border, no matter what slogans it is accompanied by, has no justification.
He added that the actions of Polish protesters and some radical Polish politicians undermined the Ukrainian economy and resilience to repel Russian aggression.
The border of Poland and Ukraine is also the border of the EU. He should not be held hostage by any political interests.
Oleg Nikolenko
MFA spokesman
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs considers the aggressive attitude of the protesters towards Ukrainians and Ukrainian goods crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border unacceptable.
The anti-Ukrainian slogans heard at the border confirm the politically motivated nature of the action. Its purpose is to provoke further aggravation of bilateral relations.
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that the protesters do not mention the threats associated with importing grain and other agricultural products from Russia and other countries.
Nikolenko called on the Polish authorities to unblock the border and emphasised the importance of maintaining "the level of solidarity that Ukraine and Poland have built in recent years."
Blockade of Ukraine's border: what is known
On February 9, Polish farmers resumed blocking roads in Poland and checkpoints on the Polish-Ukrainian border.
Until February 20, they blocked 6 out of 9 checkpoints on the border with Ukraine for the movement of trucks: "Yagodyn", "Rava-Ruska", "Shegyni", "Ustylug", "Ugryniv", "Krakivets".
On February 11, Polish farmers opened Ukrainian trucks before the "Yagodin-Dorogusk" checkpoint and dumped grain. According to the police, the farmers broke customs seals from three trucks travelling from Ukraine to Lithuania.
On February 18, Polish protesters blocked the movement of passenger train No. 119 from Kyiv to Chelm, carrying 260 passengers. The police helped to unblock the traffic.
On February 20, Polish farmers planned to block all checkpoints on the Ukraine border, as well as communication hubs and entrances to transhipment railway stations and seaports.
