Poland, which has been a standing ally of Ukraine, has recently made an announcement indicating a change in its support. In the midst of a dispute over grain trade, Poland has decided to halt its supply of weapons to Ukraine. Instead, the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, emphasised the country’s focus on strengthening its capabilities by acquiring modern weaponry.
This decision comes at a time when tensions between Poland and Ukraine are reaching heights. This Tuesday, Poland called upon Ukraine’s ambassador to express their disapproval of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s remarks at the United Nations. President Zelensky’s comments included accusations that certain nations lacked sincerity in their solidarity with Ukraine, which drew criticism from Warsaw. Poland has been a supporter of Ukraine since the conflict began.
The root cause of this dispute lies in the grain trade issue. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and subsequent disruption of Black Sea shipping routes, Ukraine sought transportation routes for its grain exports. This led to a supply of grain reaching Europe. In response, the European Union temporarily imposed a ban on grain imports into five member countries—Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia—to protect farmers who were facing falling grain prices due to imports.
Even though the ban expired on September 15, according to the EU, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland decided to continue enforcing it. The European Commission emphasised that member states shouldn’t independently dictate trade policies for the bloc. Ukraine filed complaints with the World Trade Organization (WTO) in an effort to contest these bans claiming they breached obligations.