The leader of the Polish conservative Law and Justice party (PiS) Jarosław Kaczynski called on the Polish authorities to block the negotiation process for Ukraine's accession to the European Union. This was reported by the British newspaper Financial Times (FT), News.bg reports.
The statement was made on the day an international conference dedicated to the restoration of Ukraine opened in Gdansk. The forum was organized at the initiative of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and brings together representatives of state institutions and international partners.
In his address, Kaczynski also said that he would return the medal that was previously awarded to him by Ukraine. In his words, this is “a sign of my attitude not so much towards Ukrainians as towards the Ukrainian elite“.
According to the Financial Times, these statements show that the “PiS“ party is taking an increasingly tough stance towards Kiev. The publication notes that the rhetoric of the conservative formation has become more acute against the backdrop of the domestic political debate in Poland.
According to the publication, the right-wing political forces are seeking to attract the support of farmers who express dissatisfaction with the import of Ukrainian agricultural products, as well as voters who are concerned about the costs associated with accepting and supporting Ukrainian refugees.
Relations between Warsaw and Kiev in recent years have gone through periods of both close cooperation and tension, especially on issues related to agricultural imports and historical disputes. Despite the differences, Poland remains one of Ukraine's main political and logistical partners since the start of the war with Russia.