Warsaw
Days after bitterness crept into the Ukraine-Poland relationship, there appears to be some thaw. Warsaw's agriculture minister on Wednesday (Sep 27) said talks between the two countries were on track as they sought to resolve the dispute surrounding the ban on grain imports.
Warsaw and Kyiv are allies, but relations have soured since Poland, Hungary and Slovakia decided to extend a ban that was introduced to protect farmers from Ukrainian grains flooding the market.
Polish minister Robert Telus held online talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Solsky and informed reporters about the small breakthrough.
"I am glad that we are talking about the future, that we are building mechanisms for the future and we are calming certain emotions that have not served us well, and this is probably a good direction," Telus was quoted as saying by Reuters.
The minister added that the two countries would hold further talks in a week on a licensing procedure proposed by Kyiv.
Ukraine has suggested the introduction of export licenses for corn, rapeseed, sunflower seed and wheat destined for export to five neighbouring countries in central Europe that are members of the European Union.
Meanwhile, Taras Kachka, the Ukrainian trade representative described the talks with Poland as constructive, adding that he hopes such restrictions on Ukrainian grain exports would never recur.
"Only when we receive these guarantees will we formally announce to the whole world that this dispute is over," he said in televised comments.
Watch | Poland fumes over Ukrainian president's Volodymyr Zelensky's UN speech
What happened between Poland and Ukraine?
Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Poland has been one of the biggest allies of Ukraine, supplying much of the weapons to the war-hit nation. Much of the weaponry that the United States and other countries send to Ukraine, passes through Poland.
However, after Warsaw decided to extend the ban on Ukrainian grain imports, earlier this month, to protect its farmers, despite the UN suggesting otherwise, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky went on an offensive.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Zelensky inadvertently targeted the Polish regime, which did not go down well with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The Ukrainian president criticised the allies saying some countries were only pretending to support his nation as it wages a counteroffensive to retake land taken by Russia.
Also read | Poland no longer arming war-torn Ukraine amid grain deal row
Zelensky's comments angered Morawiecki who warned him to never insult Poles again. The Polish PM added that Warsaw would no longer arm Ukraine.
"I...want to tell President Zelensky never to insult Poles again, as he did recently during his speech at the UN," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was quoted as saying by state-run news agency PAP on Friday (September 22).
After his statement caused a stir, Polish President Andrzej Duda attempted to simmer the situation by claiming that the PM's words had been misinterpreted.
(With inputs from agencies)
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