On Tuesday, a Polish MP presented the Ukrainian embassy with a ‘bill’ for $23 billion, recommending that Kiev reimburse the aid it got after suing Warsaw for imposing a restriction on grain imports from the country.
Krzysztof Bosak, a member of the right-wing Confederation Liberty and Independence faction in the Polish parliament, was the man behind the hoax.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the ‘bill’ contained various types of support offered directly to Kiev by the Polish government, social benefits awarded to Ukrainian refugees, and private donations made by Polish nationals. The entire amount is most likely “significantly underestimated and incomplete,” according to Bosak.
Ukraine has sued Poland before the World Trade Organization (WTO) and threatened to introduce trade restrictions in retaliation for imposing a ban on imports of Ukrainian grain. This was previously prohibited by the EU, but temporary restrictions expired earlier this month. Warsaw opted to introduce a national ban instead, insisting that it needed to protect Polish farmers from Ukrainian competition.
During an address to the United Nations General Assembly last week, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky appeared to ignore Poland and fellow EU member states Hungary and Slovakia, who have comparable policies. He said that some European countries that are openly supportive of Ukraine “play out solidarity” while indirectly “helping set the stage for a Moscow actor.”
On Wednesday, the Polish Foreign Ministry summoned Ukrainian Ambassador Vasil Zvarich to protest the “unjustified” remark. On the same day, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced that Warsaw will no longer provide weaponry to Kiev in order to prioritise its own military development.
In a general election next month, Confederation members will face off against the incumbent Law and Justice (PiS) party for nationalist votes.
