Ukrainian delegation “ambushed” in Warsaw as Polish official goes off the rails – Media
Kyiv had high hopes for the negotiations aimed at clearing the Ukrainian border blockaded by Polish farmers, and easing Ukrainian farm exports to Poland.
According to Polish publication Onet, Deputy Agriculture Minister Michał Kołodziejczak sabotaged Poland-Ukraine negotiations in Warsaw on 28 March by behaving inappropriately and lashing out at the Ukrainian delegation, making any understanding impossible.
“He gave the impression of being under the influence of certain substances: he kept running out of the room, and when he returned – he would start attacking us with renewed force,” said Alex Lissitsa, president of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club, who participated in the negotiations, to Ukrainska Pravda.
Polish association representatives confirming Kołodziejczak’s erratic behavior to Onet remained anonymous, but one said he “kept going in and out, reading his phone, doing anything but talking.”
“When we were nearing the end of the negotiations and Polish Minister of Agriculture Sikierski briefly left the room, Michał suddenly lashed out at the representatives of the Ukrainian delegation. We know how Michał can behave, but for someone meeting him for the first time, it could have been a shock… It looked bad, because after Kołodziejczak’s ‘performance’ the thread of understanding was lost,” commented one of the meeting’s participants.
Meanwhile, Michał Kołodziejczak called the statements about his inappropriate behavior “an attempt to discredit him.”
“The meeting was long, we were all tired, we’re just human,” he told Onet.
The negotiations were focused on resolving two key issues: unblocking the Ukrainian border that had been blocked by Polish farmers protesting against Ukrainian agricultural imports, and facilitating Ukrainian export of agricultural goods to Poland.
Read more:
- Polish PM says progress made on Ukrainian agri-imports, Ukrainian Deputy PM points out disputed issues
- EU’s import restrictions could prolong the war, Ukraine’s agriculture minister says
- Politico: France joins Poland in push for further restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural imports
- EU to “impose tariffs” on Russian grain imports
- EU to increase checks on Ukrainian grain transport as farmer protests persist
- Polish farmer protesting Ukraine imports faces charges
- Polish farmers block Ukraine border, spill grain, as
You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.
We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society.
A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support.
