Poland threatens to keep Ukrainian grain ban after embargo date expires
Al JazeeraSep 22, 2023
The Facts
Poland will not lift its embargo on imports of Ukrainian grain, irrespective of what the European Commission decides later this week, the country's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Tuesday.
"Poland will not allow Ukrainian grain to flood us," Morawiecki announced on X, adding: "Regardless of the decisions of the clerks in Brussels, we will not open up our borders."
The Spin
Narrative A
Poland has helped Ukraine tremendously over the last several months, providing it with weapons and accepting its refugees. However, the latest developments suggest that the honeymoon period is regrettably coming to an end. Ukraine has no choice but to challenge Poland's decision, which reflects a failure to show solidarity with its neighbor amid an overarching military threat to Europe.
Narrative B
The influx of Ukraine's grain in Polish markets has decreased prices and negatively affected farmers' ability to make a living. Poland continues to support Ukraine, but its primary duty must be to protect its own national economy and the interests of its people.