Tusk says Poland is ready to tighten control of products on the border with Ukraine

The Polish government, if necessary, is ready to take further decisions on effective control of products imported to Poland and the EU at its border, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday, UNN reports citing PAP.  

Details

He emphasized that he is in constant contact with his Ukrainian partners.

And I do not hide the fact that, if necessary, in the coming days we will also make further decisions on effective control at our border when it comes to products that go to the EU, to Poland

He added that wherever he goes, he will look for common solutions and arguments "to convince all our partners in Europe that even more ambitious steps are needed." "It is in the interests of Europe and Ukraine that everyone benefits from this friendship, Polish-Ukrainian, European-Ukrainian solidarity," Tusk said.

He also spoke about the mood of the protesters.

"I want to emphasize very clearly - I know this, it's not just my intuition - that the protesting farmers in Poland are not anti-Ukrainians. There may be some provocateurs, we will deal with this, but the protesting farmers, like the protesting transport workers, are protesting on the border with Ukraine not because they are against Ukraine, they are very often the same people who have been helping, giving their apartments and money to refugees from Ukraine over the past two years," the Polish Prime Minister said.

He emphasized that the EU is called upon to effectively help Ukraine in its war with Russia, and much remains to be done. He added that Poland will do everything to mobilize the world, including the EU, for this assistance, including military and technical assistance.

"But the EU also exists to protect the market of EU citizens," the Polish prime minister said.

He noted that Poland has been waiting for 10 years for Polish farmers to "have more or less equal rights with their partners in the EU, for Poland to become an equal partner in agriculture for other EU countries," and it took a decade for Poland to adapt to European standards in agriculture.

Tusk emphasized that it is about the interests of hundreds of thousands of hard-working people who are actually shouting loudly on one issue, that "they want to compete on equal terms.

"We cannot, by helping Ukraine, sacrifice such vital, fundamental interests of large groups of people in Europe, especially here in Poland," the Polish Prime Minister said.

Addendum

For several days now, numerous farmers have been protesting across Poland, blocking roads and checkpoints on the border with Ukraine. The farmers are protesting against the influx of Ukrainian goods and the EU's policy on the so-called Green Deal.

Polish Prime Minister Tusk announced on Thursday that in order to ensure 100 percent of the military and humanitarian aid will reach Ukraine without delay, checkpoints on the border with Ukraine and designated sections of roads and railways will be included in the list of critical infrastructure.