Polish farmers block Ukraine’s border as they intensify protests against non-EU imports

By VANESSA GERA
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish farmers have blocked border crossings with Ukraine as they intensify nationwide protest against the import of Ukrainian foods and European Union environmental policies. Farmers across Europe have been protesting, worried that EU plans to place limits on the use of chemicals and on greenhouse gas emissions will result in a reduction in production and income. They are also in revolt against competition from non-EU countries, in particular Ukraine. Farmers say Ukrainian grain and other food imports are damaging their livelihoods by creating a glut on the market that pushes down prices. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy singled out the protesting Polish farmers in his nightly address Monday, saying their actions indicated an “erosion of solidarity.”