Poland suspended negotiations with Ukraine regarding protests by Polish farmers at the border because "some representatives" from Ukraine were accused of corrupt activities.
Polish Deputy Minister of Agriculture Michal Kolodziejczak said this in an interview with Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, which is quoted by Dziennik.pl.
Although in the interview, Kolodzejchak does not specify which official he is talking about, at the end of April 2024, the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Mykola Solskyi, came under suspicion — he is accused of illegally seizing state land.
Kolodziejczak says that Ukraine and Poland had planned another round of talks on May 14, but they were canceled due to accusations of corruption by a Ukrainian official.
"Obviously, we will not negotiate with people accused of corruption," Kolodziejczak said. He added that this issue needs to be clarified.
According to Kolodziejczak, in general, the farmersʼ protests are over, and those that are happening now are allegedly organized on a political order and "carried out by people campaigning for the European Parliament elections."
"I understand that the situation is difficult... Therefore, I cannot agree that we do not solve the problems of farmers. We havenʼt decided everything yet, because the situation is not easy," Kolodzejczak explained.
At the same time, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland Vasyl Zvarych said that Warsaw did not stop negotiations with Kyiv on agrarian issues and they continue at all levels.
"It is not a matter of stopping the negotiations, because the talks continue at all levels. For objective reasons known to us, there was a need to postpone the meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture of Ukraine and Poland to a later date, when an official from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy will be appointed from the Ukrainian side to participate in such a meeting," said Zvarych.
He assured that the countriesʼ interest in the negotiations remains high and effective.
What preceded
At the end of April 2024, the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Mykola Solsky, was suspected of illegally taking over state land worth 291 million hryvnias and attempting to take over another 190 million hryvnias. He faces up to 12 years in prison.
Solsky himself says that the case concerns 2017-2018, when he was a lawyer and did not hold a public office. He claims that it is a dispute between state-owned enterprises and ATO soldiers over land that was given to the latter in possession in accordance with the law.
On April 26, Solsky was remanded in custody, but on the same day bail was posted for him.
On May 9, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Mykola Solsky from the post of Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
Protests of Polish farmers
From November 2023, the Poles periodically block checkpoints on the border with Ukraine. Polish transporters, and then farmers, have been obstructing the movement of trucks for varying lengths of time, demanding from their authorities and the European Union to improve working conditions and preferences. They are asking for a ban on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine that do not meet EU standards, the return of the permit system for Ukrainian transporters, subsidies for fertilizers, fuel excise compensation, payment of subsidies and other demands that have nothing to do with Ukraine.
Mykola Solsky took part in the negotiations with Poland about unblocking the border with Ukraine. On March 28, the parties discussed the unblocking of borders for agricultural products and have a common vision for solving this issue.
Already on April 29, Polish farmers unblocked the traffic of trucks at the Rava-Ruska — Grebenne checkpoint. It was the last checkpoint where the protest of Polish farmers continued.