It’s never easy to see friends fight. Especially when there’s a war on.
That’s what makes the dispute between Ukraine and Poland so worrying: The latter is a crucial ally to Kyiv and the key gateway for economic and military aid aimed at stopping Russia’s invasion.
What started as an argument over Poland’s ban on the sale of Ukrainian grain on its territory rapidly spiraled into a full-blown crisis.
The latest round of verbal fisticuffs started when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, speaking at the United Nations, accused some European Union members (he didn’t say who) of appeasing Russia. President Andrzej Duda responded by comparing Kyiv to “a drowning man” that could drag Poland under.
Then Warsaw announced it had stopped sending more arms to its neighbor before walking back the statement. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also said he could add more Ukrainian goods to the ban and his government summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to complain.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Zelenskiy as he appeals to world leaders at the UN to step up deliveries of weapons and cash and his troops push on with a grinding counteroffensive to retake occupied territory.
The Ukrainians blame the entire imbroglio on domestic politics in Poland, where the ruling Law & Justice party is trying to win a third consecutive term in Oct. 15 elections. The ban on grain sales — which Ukraine desperately needs to fund the war — is seen as an attempt to appease farmers who make up a crucial voting bloc that may decide who leads the next government.
There’s also the roughly 2 million Ukrainian refugees who’ve fled to Poland. Law & Justice said it will probably cut off subsidies to them next year.
While Poland appeared to be seeking to calm the situation today, the dispute cast doubt over Europe’s commitment to Ukraine over the long haul. And the once-strong friendship between allies may never be the same. — Michael Winfrey