Poland: authorities suspect the influence of “Russian agents” behind farmers’ pro-Putin slogans
During a farmers' demonstration in southern Poland, anti-Ukrainian and pro-Putin slogans were seen written on a sign, creating controversy in the country and in its Ukrainian neighbor. The authorities suspect the influence of “Russian agents”.
Polish farmers with their tractors and vehicles block the Warsaw-Lublin highway outside the town of Ryki in the Lublin region during a protest by farmers from across the country against Poland's climate measures. the EU, February 20, 2024. AFP - SERGEI GAPON
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“
Putin, restore order in
Ukraine
, in Brussels and within our government
.” Written on a sign during a gathering of farmers in southern Poland
,
this sentence caused a lot of ink to flow in the country. It was in Gorzyczki that the sign was displayed next to a Soviet flag.
Without delay, the authorities announced the influence
of “Russian agents
” behind these anti-Ukrainian slogans and in favor of
Vladimir Putin
. “
We believe that this is an attempt to take control of the agricultural protest movement by extremist and irresponsible groups, perhaps influenced by Russian agents
,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an official statement. . Warsaw “
notes with the greatest concern the emergence of such slogans
,” the Polish ministry said in a statement, stressing that such actions give “
a bad image of Poland
.”
“ Uncontrolled
”
imports
A criminal investigation for promoting a fascist or totalitarian regime and for inciting hatred, an offense punishable in Poland by three years in prison, was opened by the police. The author has been identified. The Soviet flag and the sign were confiscated.
The authorities also wanted to reiterate their friendly position towards Ukraine, despite the dispute which is straining relations between the two countries. This trade dispute over wheat is also one of the sources of farmers' discontent. Since Tuesday, they have started a vast protest movement by blocking around a hundred roads in their country and border crossing points with Ukraine, denouncing in particular agri-food imports from Ukraine deemed “
uncontrolled
” and European agricultural policy. .
The border between Ukraine and
Poland
has also been blocked for several days by this movement of anger. On this subject, the Ukrainian president called this Wednesday for talks between his government and that of Poland to resolve the problem, affirming that “only” Moscow benefits from these tensions. “
I asked our government to go to the border between our two countries as soon as possible, by February 24,
” he said in a video, asking Polish Prime Minister
Donald Tusk
to do so. even.
(
With
AFP)
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