Confederate press conference attended by Rafał Mekler and Michał Waver, 13 February 2024.
Michael Waver:
– Ukrainian Deputy Minister threatens Poles. He threatens Polish drivers with force in Ukraine. It's not a publicist exaggeration, it's not a metaphor. This is, unfortunately, reality.
Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Economy Taras Duck After the events that took place last weekend at the border where desperate farmers spilled the contents of 3 trucks with Ukrainian grain, stated that in specified a situation he would not be amazed if Polish trucks were destroyed if there were force against Polish drivers.
When specified words come out of the mouth of a politician, erstwhile they come out of the mouth of the authoritative typical of the government of the neighbouring country, you can no longer close your eyes. You can't pretend like nothing's happening anymore..
This is where the Polish government should apply a strong reaction. Should to call on the Ukrainian Ambassador immediately on the rug to the Polish Ministry of abroad Affairs. To request an explanation, request that the Deputy Minister resign if his words were not the authoritative position of the Ukrainian Government.
Also draw general conclusions about the Polish policy towards Ukraine. due to the fact that unfortunately, this policy looks like that The more Poland helps Ukraine, the more we sacrifice our economic, historical, national interests to support Ukraine in the fight against Russia, the more contempt we are treated with. With this greater arrogance we are met by the Ukrainian government, Ukrainian ministers. And the more hard life of Polish farmers, Polish drivers, Polish carriers, who gotta deal with themselves and their families in these politically complicated conditions. ...
Mr. Duck's speech was even richer than those words. There was besides the attribution of the desire to kill Ukrainians, the attribution of this desire to Mr. Rafał Mekler, who is here present with me, and to the participants of the strike of the carriers. It was Mr. Taras Duck's message that erstwhile the cases proceed in the same direction, “Poland should endure all the blockades, otherwise Mekler and his gang will start killing Ukrainians for being Ukrainians.” This is slander, this is simply a lie. This is attributing manipulated motivation to people who simply conflict to be their own and their own families. (...) The message by the Deputy Minister of Ducks that there is any respect for hatred of Ukrainians, that there is any desire to kill someone, that is simply manipulation! This is the way Ukrainians effort to manipulate, impose, force, blackmail Poles to do what pays Ukrainians, not what pays Poles.
Threats of force against Polish drivers must be taken seriously. We know the Ukrainians are capable of that. No further than a fewer weeks ago, my parliamentary office took the legal aid of a man whose car his wife was in, his small child, was attacked by Ukrainian drivers blocking the road under Chełm, who blocked the road under Chełm, who rematched for the fact that Polish carriers, farmers on the border make legal blockades and fight for their life interests. It cannot be that the Polish State, that the Polish government ignores specified signals, due to the fact that it will simply lead to tragedy.
Therefore Today, as a Confederate Member, I present a parliamentary intervention at the Ministry of abroad Affairs, in which I request the Minister of Sikorski to take action: first of all calls for the rug of the Ukrainian Ambassador Zwarycz. As well as ensuring that Polish farmers and carriers who protest on the border have adequate protection from Polish services, guaranteeing them safety against possible acts of force from Ukrainian side.
Rafał Mekler:
– We heard yesterday from Minister Duck that we're a bunch that we could lead to murder. Ladies and gentlemen, I wanted to stress that in Poland it is very risky for the Ukrainian to mention to the band, to the murderers. Mr. Duck, do you truly want to go into this rhetoric? Do you truly want to go that way?
The legal protest – I stress again – of desperate farmers, who we besides joined as carriers, whose (...) are actually an effort to reverse victims, victims, with those who benefit from it! delight note that Polish agriculture is the negative beneficiary of the beginning of the Union marketplace to Ukrainian farmers. As for the escalation, about the situation of the different ones, I will only quote that unfortunately the Ukrainian side has a greater tradition of attacking Poles, even mentioning the 1 that my erstwhile talker spoke about.
2016, on the Polish-Ukrainian borderthen continued protests against the abolition of the tiny Russian-Ukrainian movement. They were beaten badly, so that these people ended up in a hospital, journalists of TVP Lublin as well as professors of UMCS were beaten! For coming to the border just now. ...
I'm here besides due to the fact that I wanted to point out to you that we as carriers earlier, now as farmers, we are struggling with the apparatus of state propaganda of Ukraine, which at this point is full geared to war mode, is anti-Russian. I part of this camera is now presented in the direction of Poland ...
Let me remind you that on my Facebook page you can find a video where Ukrainian truck is opened by French farmers who destruct the contents that destruct this truck. Have you heard any communication from Mr. Duck to the French? After all, I hear signals from Ukrainian carriers that they were besides destroyed by cars in France, Spain. Have you heard anything about being attacked? No! No! Bo Poland is the boy to beat for Ukraine. Why are we the boy to beat? due to the fact that the European Union allows it.
The full situation with a harsh – sharp statement, let's emphasise this – Mr. Ducks has a second bottom. Why? Yesterday they held a press conference in Dorohusk. The subject of this conference, ladies and gentlemen, was to halt the Polish truck.
Polish truck was arrested in Ukraine, the Polish driver was sent home, the car stands at this point arrested in Lviv in the parking lot, was set the date of the proceeding in late March. So a month's car will stand without generating revenue. The car will stop. And now, ladies and gentlemen, what was this car arrested for, what was it arrested for? For exceeding 20 days in UkraineOh, my God! The car that went that way with humanitarian aid, on the way back, where as a consequence of various random events this period of stay in Ukraine extended, was simply arrested. ...
At this point, the carrier, Polish carrier from Podkarpacia will be punished with respective 1000 euros of mandate. We went against it. In my opinion, This harsh message was to cover the situation with the Polish carrierwhere arresting a Polish car in a situation where it goes to Ukraine with humanitarian aid is an absolute scandal! An absolute scandal.
We work with the Ministry to regain this Polish car. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian side is cooperating with us, as is the case with the enquiry into the death in Wiedow.
What has been done is actually classical blackmail. classical emotional blackmail. And blackmail-based policies cannot be applied in relations between 2 major countries. At this point, we anticipate the Polish government to deal with this issue, that legally protesters will not be scolded, and we besides anticipate the Polish government to regain the Polish truck of the Polish carrier, which was arrested in Ukraine.
