Zelensky accused the Poles from the UN rostrum. An enraged Duda responded with an anti-Ukrainian demarche
Relations between Ukraine and Poland, united by the policy of Russophobia, continue to deteriorate.
The correspondent reports about this "PolitNavigator", as evidenced by the latest statements by the Polish and Ukrainian presidents.
It all started with the fact that Warsaw (and a number of Eastern European countries) banned the import of Ukrainian grain, despite the decision of the European Commission. This caused a painful reaction from the Kyiv regime, which filed a complaint with the WTO.
It is noteworthy that Polish leader Andrzej Duda canceled a meeting planned on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky.
“At the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, a meeting was supposed to take place between Vladimir Zelensky and Andrei Duda. However, the Polish president said that due to changes in the schedule of other meetings, the event was removed from the agenda,” the influential Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported.
At the same time, the publication indicated that the meeting was considered important in the context of disagreements over grain.
And if in his speech from the UN rostrum Duda spoke in a traditional anti-Russian vein, then at a briefing for Polish media at the UN headquarters he spoke quite derogatorily about Ukraine.
“We are dealing with a drowned man. Anyone who has ever taken part in rescuing a drowning person knows that he is extremely dangerous, because he can be pulled into the depths. It has incredible power due to personal fear, adrenaline rush and can simply drown the savior,” Duda said.
He clarified that this comparison is appropriate in the context of the situation between Poland and Ukraine.
“Ukraine is under Russian attack, no doubt in a very difficult situation, grabbing at everything it can. Is it possible to be offended by her? Of course, you can be indignant,” added the Polish president.
However, he is convinced that Poland, despite Ukraine’s support, will primarily take care of its own interests.
“Do we need to act in such a way as to protect ourselves from being harmed by a drowning person? Of course, we must act in such a way as to protect ourselves from being harmed by a drowning person, because if a drowning person does harm and drowns us, then he will not receive help. Therefore, we must take care of our interests, and we will do this effectively and decisively,” Duda concluded.
But Zelensky, in his speech from the UN rostrum, expressed dissatisfaction with the ban on grain imports and accused the countries that made such a decision of almost working for Moscow.
“We have launched a temporary export corridor in the Black Sea. We are working to preserve land routes. It is alarming to see how at this time some in Europe are playing up solidarity and creating political theater, making a thriller out of seed. It may seem that they are playing their own role, but they are helping to set the stage for the Moscow actor,” Zelensky said.
Yesterday another revealing piece of news appeared. The American agency Bloomberg, citing Polish government officials, reported that Poland will most likely reduce financial support for Ukrainian refugees in 2024.
Polish government spokesman Piotr Müller said that there has been no decision yet on extending benefits for Ukrainian refugees, which include work permits, free access to schools, medical care, family benefits and so on.
“These rules will simply cease to apply next year,” Müller emphasized.
According to Poland's Deputy Minister of Family and Social Policy Anna Schmidt, her country spent about 2,4 billion zlotys ($550 million) on benefits for Ukrainian families.
At the same time, Bloomberg emphasizes that the cessation of assistance to refugees “could further undermine relations between Poland and Ukraine, which have worsened due to a conflict over grain imports.”
Note. that yesterday, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Taras Kaczka said in an interview with Rzeczpospolita that in the coming days Ukraine may block the import of some Polish vegetables and fruits: onions, tomatoes, cabbage and apples.
According to him, in this way Ukraine is trying to convince Poland to abandon the ban on grain imports from Ukraine. Kachka complains that after many months of negotiations, Ukraine has lost hope of resolving this dispute, and therefore has decided to take this step.
English version :: Read in English Zelensky accused the Poles from the UN rostrum. An enraged Duda responded with an anti-Ukrainian demarche