Poland’s Ban on Ukrainian Grain Casts Doubt on Support for EU Accession

Rift shows Kyiv-Warsaw relationship falling prey to Polish election campaign

21 April 2023

Adam Jasser

Deputy Managing Editor

The ban on Ukrainian grain by Poland’s right-wing government has exposed ambiguity in the country’s support for Ukraine’s EU accession, as it seeks to appease powerful farm lobbies ahead of a tough election.

The abrupt halt to imports of Ukrainian grain by Poland’s right-wing government last weekend exposed the fragility of its commitment to Ukraine’s EU accession if it clashes with the interests of the powerful farm lobby forming a vital chunk of its power base.

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After spending much of the past year boasting about Polish support for Ukraine and lambasting some European partners for not doing enough to stop Russia’s ability to wage war, the government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki imposed the ban in the face of mounting protests by farmers and under pressure from the opposition accusing it of mismanaging the issue.

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Adam Jasser

Deputy Managing Editor

Since 2021, Adam has co-hosted a foreign policy podcast “About the World at Onet” for Poland’s leading web portal onet.pl. He has worked as a business and policy consultant, including with the World Bank on competition, privatisation and regulatory reforms in transition economies. In 2014-16, Adam was head of the Polish competition authority. He served as Secretary of State in the Chancellery of Prime Minister Donald Tusk in 2010-14. He was Secretary of the PM’s Economic Council and oversaw the analytical and policy impact assessment department. Before joining the government, Adam was Programme Director at Warsaw-based think-tank demosEuropa – Centre for European Strategy. Earlier, he spent almost 20 years at Reuters news agency, in roles stretching from translator and head of economic reporting in Warsaw, to bureau chief in Frankfurt and regional editor for central Europe, Balkans and Turkey.

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