Duda announces possible meeting with Zelensky amid grain crisis

The head of the Polish president’s office, Pawel Schroth, has announced a meeting between Andrzej Duda and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the near future. He said this on the air of RMF FM.

Schroth noted that President Duda will meet with the Ukrainian leader in the near future, but did not go into details.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself because I have my information, but various security considerations also play a role. President Zelenskyy is the leader of a country at war, he is under the threat of a terrorist attack from Russia,” Schroth said when asked when the two presidents might meet.

Schroth also said that President Duda supports the Polish government’s position on the unilateral extension of the embargo on Ukrainian agricultural imports.

“In pursuit of its national interests, Poland decided to close the Polish market to Ukrainian grain because Poland does not need this grain. This grain is very much needed by countries that are threatened with famine as a result of the turmoil associated with Russian aggression against Ukraine… and the transportation of this Ukrainian grain through Poland to these countries should be facilitated,” said Prime Minister Andrzej Duda.

On Tuesday, the Polish government adopted a resolution declaring its intention to extend the ban at the national level if it is not extended at the EU level.

In response, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced an appeal to WTO arbitration if Poland blocks Ukrainian grain exports.

Tags: Ukraine, grain, Poland