Protesting farmers from Poland stopped a passenger bus from Ukraine and allegedly handcuffed a passenger who claimed to be an Israeli citizen, with the parties involved exchanging verbal abuses in different languages.
A protestor could be heard shouting: “We don’t want you here, kurwa,” the latter being a common insult in Polish with different derogative meanings.
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In a video circulating on social media, a tractor could be seen stopping in front of a passenger bus where multiple insults could be heard.
In the description, it was said the incident took place at the Rava-Ruska-Khrebenne checkpoint, where an Israeli citizen was reportedly handcuffed and taken elsewhere as he shouted that he was late for a flight.
Kyiv Post is unable to independently verify the details surrounding the incident.
This is the latest escalation at the border between the two nations as Polish farmers demand restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural imports, which they said have flooded the market and drove down local prices.
On Feb. 20, protesters escalated actions across the country and introduced blockades on all checkpoints with Ukraine, including passenger traffic.
The escalation has also led to several clashes, where protesters dumped Ukrainian grain on railway tracks in one incident. Pro-Russian elements were also seen displayed on a tractor – to which Polish authorities said they had initiated an investigation.
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A recent Kyiv Post report provided more context on the protests, which have been taking place intermittently since November 2023.
Donald Tusk, prime minister of Poland, has said that “several thousand people” were to blame for “[taking] advantage of by engaging in unfair and unequal competition” after his first visit to Kyiv, casting blame on private individuals who exploited the EU’s softening restrictions on Ukrainian exports following Russia’s invasion.
Officials from Ukraine and Poland said they are actively trying to resolve the issue, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announcing on Telegram that he analyzed the situation and determined the next steps with government officials and that actions will be taken shortly, without further elaboration.
Polish President Andrzej Duda, in an interview with Ukrainian Radio, said that active discussions with farmers are taking place to de-escalate the situation, but it is not Warsaw’s decision to lift the blockade.
“But this blocking of the border is not the decision of the Polish government, this is not the decision of any Polish government. This is just a decision made by farmers, farmer organizations,” said Duda, adding that Russia’s invasion is ultimately to blame.
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