KYIV — Of course, the easiest thing to say is that the blocking of the Ukrainian border by Polish farmers and truckers and other unpleasant incidents that are taking place on the territory of our western neighbors are just the actions of some marginalized individuals in Poland, secretly supported by the Kremlin.
In fact, even if there are such connections and agitators, this is hardly the entire picture.
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When Donald Tusk’s government came to power, there was hope for a quick resolution of the crisis on the Ukrainian-Polish border. Those hopes proved to be in vain. The baton was passed from Polish truckers to Polish farmers. The incident on Feb. 11 became the apotheosis of absurdity. On that day, Rafał Mekler, a Lublin representative of the Ukrainophobic Confederation party, posted a photo of Ukrainian grain scattered on the road, which outraged Ukrainians.
Other manifestations of Ukrainophobia were also noticed at the rallies of Polish farmers. Some slogans and posters contained clearly provocative statements to which the Polish authorities did not actively respond.
On the other hand, the new government in Warsaw has indeed stepped up its backing of Kyiv in its defense against the Russian invasion, reversing a more ambivalent approach of the previous conservative government of PiS. A notable intervention last Friday by the new Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski shot down, point by point, the falsehoods of Russia’s justification for the war.
Nonetheless, the situation remains complicated and unresolved between the two Eastern European neighbors.
Blocking the border with Ukraine
The net effect of the protesters’ behavior is a significant cooling of the attitude of Ukrainians towards Poles. Earlier rhetoric about “eternal friendship” and “brotherhood” has faded into the background, as many Ukrainians began to express outrage at the actions of the protesting farmers.
Moreover, trucks intended for military use were also among those blocked. Some suggested taking similar actions against Polish trucks. Others called on Ukrainians, many of whom are now living as refugees in Poland, to come out to protest.
It is quite common practice for farmers in Europe to engage in protests, which can sometimes turn rather extreme. The current farmers’ protests spreading across the EU are mainly aimed at opposing the tough green policy as part of the fight against climate change. Agricultural producers are also demanding additional subsidies from the government.
But blocking the border with Ukraine is a different situation.
However, in Poland, instead of putting pressure on their own government to take concrete steps or to create transit corridors for Ukrainian grain with law enforcement escorts up to the ports, farmers simply blocked the Ukrainian border.
Not a noble thing
Blocking the border of a state that is struggling to survive is not a noble thing, to put it mildly. The claims of Polish farmers or truckers that they will not be able to compete with Ukrainian businesses also seem doubtful. Of course, we can assume that some of the Ukrainian grain or other products that were supposed to be in transit could have ended up on the Polish market. But could this have happened without the private interest of some Polish business? It is doubtful.
Statistics show that only 5-10% of Ukrainian agricultural products are exported to Poland. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) at the NSDC, Russia imported 12 million tons of grain to Poland in 2022-2023. At the same time, only 4.3 million tons of Ukrainian grain entered the country. For some reason, however, we do not see any protests by Polish farmers in this regard.
At the same time, the participation of activists and supporters of the far-right Konfederacja party and other similar movements in the border blockade indicates a political rather than purely economic implication of such actions.
Blocking the Ukrainian border has become a daily routine.
It is already a tradition in Poland: if you are unhappy with something, you can block the Ukrainian border. No one wants to find out whether Ukraine is really to blame for your problems. In addition, the actions of the Poles inspired protesters from other neighboring countries, such as Romania and Slovakia. Fortunately, they managed to avoid a full blockade there. It is hard to imagine what will happen when Ukraine, with its strong agricultural sector, joins the EU.
What is the reason?
What is the reason for such radical steps by a small but aggressive part of Polish society; and why do Polish authorities and society, if not tolerate, then generally seem to be in no hurry to resolve the situation? We can, of course, look for the Kremlin’s hand everywhere. But, it seems, it was not without genuine autonomous Polish Ukrainophobes and chauvinists.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Ukrainian-Polish relations developed generally constructively. Both countries have a difficult history, but had developed a formula of “we forgive and apologize” as the basis for understanding between the two nations. A 1997 joint statement “Towards Understanding and Unity,” was signed by the then presidents of the two states, Leonid Kuchma and Aleksander Kwaśniewski, with a similar document in 2003: “On Reconciliation on the 60th Anniversary of the Tragic Events in Volyn,” referring to the World War II-era massacre of ethnic Poles.
Returning Polish-Ukrainian relations
However, in the 2010s, the politicization of the historical past gradually began to gain ground among Polish politicians. Against the backdrop of the sluggish reaction of the Ukrainian political elite, the Polish side abandoned the formula “we forgive and apologize”. Instead, it was based on a one-sided, dubious interpretation of history with a one-sided shift of blame to Ukrainians for the events of World War II. In 2016, the Polish Parliament voted for the first time to recognize the events in Volyn as a “genocide of Poles.” Polish politicians began to comment on which history Ukrainians should learn and which heroes to honor.
In general, the situation looks like Polish-Ukrainian relations have partially returned to the pre-war period. There is again less trust, sincerity and constructiveness. And this situation plays into the hands of Moscow.
In politics, there are no eternal allies or perpetual enemies. Only our interests are eternal. Despite the proximity of Ukraine and Poland and the obvious benefits of strategic cooperation for both countries, Kyiv cannot be a hostage to Ukrainophobic sentiments in Polish society — especially in such a critical period of our history.
It is necessary to build strong and friendly relations with the Poles. But this is no reason to lose self-respect and succumb to economic pressure or historical blackmail.
Effective strategic cooperation is possible only between equal parties that respect each other and look to the future, rather than trying to impose their own version of historical truth or unilaterally taking into account economic interests.
