(Reuters) – Ukraine’s foreign ministry summoned Poland’s ambassador to Kyiv on Tuesday to address what it deemed as “unacceptable” remarks made by Marcin Przydacz, the foreign policy adviser to the Polish president.
Oleh Nikolenko, spokesman for Ukraine’s foreign ministry, stressed during the meeting that allegations of Ukrainian ingratitude towards Poland’s assistance are unfounded and cannot be tolerated.
The Polish foreign ministry has not yet provided a response to the situation.
Both Kyiv and Warsaw have maintained a strong alliance throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion launched in February 2022.
Polish media outlets quoted Przydacz on Monday discussing the potential continuation of the ban on Ukrainian agricultural imports, urging Kyiv to demonstrate gratitude for the support it received during the conflict with Russia.
Przydacz was quoted saying, “What is most crucial at the moment is to protect the interests of Polish farmers… I believe it’s time for Kyiv to start appreciating the role that Poland has played in Ukraine over the past months and years.”
Five Central European countries, including Poland, are advocating for the extension of the European Union’s grain import ban from Ukraine until the end of this year. The ban is currently set to expire on September 15.
Even if the EU does not approve an extension, Poland has stated it will not lift the ban on September 15. The country’s prime minister made this announcement earlier in the month.
Later this year, Poland, which is a member of both NATO and the EU, will hold parliamentary elections.
(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka and the Kyiv newsroom; editing by Christina Fincher and Alex Richardson)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
