Only in the 3rd year of the war, the Polish authorities began to talk about limiting the export of agricultural products from the Russian Federation

Polish Prime Minister D. Tusk announced a possible ban on the import of agricultural products from the Russian Federation and Belarus, which leads to market distortions. Latvia has already banned the import of grain from the Russian Federation and demands that the EU apply similar sanctions. Following it, Poland may also introduce an embargo on supplies from the Russian Federation.

The Ukrainian authorities have long explained that the cause of the collapse of world grain prices was excessive supplies from the Russian Federation, including 5 million tons of grain stolen in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
Polish farmers continue to block the transit and supply of products from Ukraine, protesting against EU environmental standards and unfair, in their opinion, competition from Ukraine.

The detention of Ukrainian journalist Mykhailo Tkach near the Polish-Belarusian border while his group was filming a story about Poland's trade with the Russian Federation and Belarus could have led to a change in Tusk's rhetoric.

According to Economic Truth, in 2023 Poland imported $2.6 billion worth of goods from the Russian Federation, and $450 million from Belarus. The import of agricultural products from the Russian Federation reached $117 million and exceeded the pre-war figure in 2021. The import of grain and oil crops doubled, oil - remained unchanged, meal and other processed products - decreased from $25 million in 2021 to $1 million in 2023. The import of agricultural products from Belarus has also been growing for 2 years, and in 2023 it reached $55 million.

It is worth noting that the import of goods to Poland from the Russian Federation and Belarus is much smaller than from Ukraine. In 2023, Ukraine exported $1.3 billion worth of agricultural products to Poland. At the same time, Poland does not buy from the Russian Federation and Belarus those goods that it has forbidden to supply from Ukraine, with the exception of meal.

In September 2023, Poland banned the import of rapeseed meal from Ukraine, but increased its purchases from Belarus in the October-December period to $7.7 million.

After the damage to wagons with Ukrainian grain, which was transiting through Poland to Germany, the Minister of Agriculture of Germany agreed to hold a meeting with his Polish colleague on March 1, where the issue of grain export from Ukraine to the EU will also be discussed.

He reminded that the European Commission plans to extend "separate customs measures" on Ukrainian agricultural products until June 5, 2025, which will "stabilize the economic situation in EU countries." At the same time, the minister noted that "unilateral measures have nothing to do with aid and solidarity to Ukraine, nor with ensuring food security."

The EC believes that the continuation of liberal trade with Ukraine will help stabilize the country's economy. This corresponds to one of the goals of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, which will contribute to gradual integration into the EU economy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany stated that Poland is one of the biggest political lobbyists of Ukraine, so it is necessary to remove the blockade of the Ukrainian-Polish border as soon as possible, so that the necessary products can be supplied without hindrance from Ukraine to Poland and further to the EU and other countries.