Polish farmers are protesting in Warsaw against Ukrainian imports and EU policies.

Polish farmers initiated a protest in Warsaw on January 3 against the import of agricultural products from Ukraine and the European Union's policies, which they believe threaten their income, reports the news outlet RMF24.

The rally, timed with the start of Poland's presidency in the EU Council, takes place under the slogan "Five Times STOP".

The five issues that sparked the protests include:

• Ukrainian imports,
• the trade agreement between the European bloc and the South American group Mercosur,
• increased environmental requirements,
• the EU's policies on forests and hunting,
• as well as the so-called "extinction of the Polish economy".

The protests began at 2:00 PM local time in front of the European Commission's office in Warsaw. Approximately two hours later, the farmers marched through the city, concluding the event at 11:00 PM.

"All agricultural organizations in our country will protest against the harmful policies of the European Union, against (European Commission President) Ursula von der Leyen, who imposes policies that will force us to close our farms," said Tomasz Obshański, head of the independent farmers' union "Solidarity".

It is worth noting that Polish farmers and transporters began large-scale protests at the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, blocking freight movement at the Polish-Ukrainian border.

Recently, on November 23, 2024, farmers organized a blockade at the "Shehyni" border crossing with Ukraine, which lasted just over a day and restricted truck traffic.

Warsaw has already imposed a ban on importing certain Ukrainian products, such as grain, citing negative impacts on Polish agriculture.

The Polish government has expressed support for the farmers' concerns, highlighting the challenges associated with the EU's trade policy while also striving to maintain solidarity with Ukraine during the war.

Background. It is important to note that France hopes to persuade the Polish authorities and unite efforts against the trade agreement between the European Union and the Latin American bloc Mercosur.

For more on whether they will be able to present a united front against Latin America and Brussels, see the Mind article "France wants to involve Polish farmers in the fight against the EU – Mercosur agreement".