Ministry of Agriculture condemns destruction of Ukrainian grain in Poland

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine strongly denounced the intentional destruction of Ukrainian grain by Polish protesters at the Ukrainian-Polish border

This was stated in a released statement.

The ministry extended an invitation to Polish farmers to visit Ukraine and witness firsthand the challenging conditions under which Ukrainian farmers operate. The statement highlighted the hardships endured by Ukrainian farmers for the past two years, working amidst constant enemy threats and losses. It emphasized that the 4 million small farmers in Ukraine are willing to share their experiences with their Polish counterparts.

The ministry is closely monitoring the investigation into the incident and anticipates swift identification and punishment of those responsible for the deliberate destruction of Ukrainian grain.

"While we respect the right of Polish farmers to defend their interests in a civilized manner, the destruction of Ukrainian wheat in this instance is not aligned with peaceful protests, either legally or morally," the ministry underscored.

Expressing gratitude to Poles who have supported the Ukrainian people, the ministry affirmed that such isolated incidents will not impact the strong bond of support from the Polish people that Ukrainians have experienced during the two-year war against the Russian invader.

The Ukrainian grain border incident

At the Ukraine-Poland border, a group of Polish protesters orchestrated the dumping of grain from multiple Ukrainian trucks onto the road. The Center for Countering Disinformation highlighted that this provocative act was spearheaded by Rafał Mekler, an organizer, logistics company owner, and leader of the Lublin branch of the "Confederation" party, known for its marginal stance.

"The 'Confederation' party, led by Mekler, advocates for Poland's departure from the EU, criticizes the presence of NATO troops in the country and calls for improved relations with the Russian Federation – a position not widely supported by the Polish public. Mekler, who ran for the Diet in 2019 without success, is seemingly aligning his actions with the interests of the Russian Federation. This alignment aims to fuel tensions between Ukrainians and Poles while diminishing EU support for Ukraine. Additionally, the incident serves the purposes of semi-criminal Polish entities implicated in suspected raiding schemes within the EU transport market," stated the report.