World
Zelenskyy asks Brussels to defuse Polish farmer dispute
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the European Commission to step in to avoid what he calls “political manipulation” of a dispute between Ukraine and Poland over agricultural imports.
As Polish farmers blockaded the border with their war-torn neighbour for a second week in protest over unfair competition, Zelenskyy warned Brussels that unless it intervenes, Moscow could profit from the strained relations between Kyiv and Warsaw.
In a video statement published on Wednesday, Ukraine’s President directly urged Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to join him personally for talks on the blockaded border crossing, adding that he had also invited a representative of the European Commission.
“We must preserve Europe’s unity. This is fundamentally in the interests of the European Union,” Zelenskyy said.
“We have had enough of Moscow’s presence in our lands. We have had enough misunderstandings. We should not humiliate each other, we should not humiliate either Ukrainian or Polish farmers,” he added.
“We need unity. We need solutions—between us, Ukraine and Poland, and at the level of the whole of Europe.”
But when asked on Thursdays about the direct appeal, the Commission could not confirm if the executive had received a formal invitation from the Ukrainian government. A spokesperson admitted the situation was “complex” and “evolving” and stressed negotiations between Ukraine and the bordering countries were the only way to design a durable solution. The last technical meeting took place on Tuesday.
“(We’re trying to find) a solution to this that satisfies, on the one hand, the Commission’s commitment to continue supporting Ukraine’s economy, including its agri-food sector, which is of systemic importance to its economy,” the spokesperson said.
“On the other hand, we’re trying to find solutions to protecting sensitive EU market sectors when there’s evidence of market disturbance. And so that’s the balance we’re trying to strike.”
Poland’s agriculture minister Czesław Siekierski told TV channel TVN24 on Wednesday that the ongoing talks with his Ukrainian counterparts are “very difficult.” Talks are focused on potential quotas for the import of Ukrainian foodstuffs.
His deputy minister Michał Kołodziejczak added that Brussels needed to get involved. “If the European Commission does not get involved in solving this problem, if this problem is not addressed strategically, Poland will actually isolate itself from products from Ukraine, but they will reach the Western European market,” Kołodziejczak said.
Long-standing grain dispute intensifies
Tensions over Ukrainian imports have been brewing in Poland and other eastern EU member states since April last year.
The EU lifted customs duties and quotas on a wide range of Ukrainian goods, including agri-food products, in a bid to help the country boost its trade floods amid the Russian aggression and avoid global food shortages.
But farmers in five bordering countries – Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria – complained that the move had caused a glut of cheap Ukrainian foodstuff in their countries, depressing prices for local producers, taking up storage and tightening the belt on families in rural communities.
The complaints led Warsaw and other capitals to unilaterally ban the domestic sale of Ukrainian cereals to protect farmers, initially sparking outrage in Brussels.
But with farmers’ discontent threatening to undermine EU solidarity with Ukraine and the rural vote considered pivotal in crunch European elections in June, the Commission struck a temporary deal that allowed four Ukrainian products – wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed – to transit through the neighbouring countries but without staying in their markets for domestic consumption or storage.
The arrangement came to an end in September. However, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia defied the European consensus and maintained their prohibitions, which are not coordinated and cover goods beyond the aforementioned four products.
Donald Tusk, who became Poland’s prime minister in mid-December, has inherited the previous Law and Justice government’s struggles to maintain his show of support for Ukraine while also appeasing farmers and truckers, who say their livelihoods have been hit by the show of solidarity to Kyiv.
Tusk’s cabinet has so far kept the restrictions, causing frustration in Brussels. The recent wave of farmers’ protests across Europe, however, has re-awakened discontent as Polish producers call for the grain ban to be expanded to Ukrainian fruit, vegetables and sugar, which they say also are driving down their prices.
ADVERTISEMENTA proposed EU regulation, which is still under discussion, would allow member states to apply “remedial measures” on Ukrainian imports in case of market turmoil at the local level. The new regulation would also enable the automatic re-introduction of tariffs if trade flows of three “sensitive products” – poultry, eggs and sugar – spike.
The Commission hopes this new system will be enough to convince Poland, Hungary and Slovakia to lift their unilateral bans. Otherwise, legal action might be launched.
“Poland maintains its unilateral blockade against imports from Ukraine. And one has to ask the question if that was functioning as it was intended,” a Commission spokesperson said on Thursday.
The months-long grain dispute has threatened to severely strain the relationship between the neighbouring nations and other Western allies. Warsaw has been a staunch backer of Zelenskyy’s efforts to withstand Russia’s invasion, and has welcomed more Ukrainian refugees fleeing war than any other EU country.
But as the standoff worsens, the Ukrainian leader has stepped up its rhetoric. In his video message, Zelenskyy denounced Polish farmers who he says have “flagrantly dumped” Ukrainian grain in demonstrations over recent weeks.
ADVERTISEMENT“This is the grain that our farmers and peasants cultivate with great difficulty, despite all of the hardships caused by Russia’s brutal aggression,” Zelenskyy said.
World
Keir Starmer reportedly considering stepping down as PM and could announce timetable for departure
British PM Keir Starmer could face leadership challenge amid internal troubles
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces significant internal pressure following Andy Burnham’s special election win, potentially triggering a leadership contest. Starmer is under fire for economic pressures, illegal immigration issues, and controversies surrounding his previous role in prosecuting grooming gangs. Elon Musk also accused Starmer of complicity.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly considering stepping down and could announce a timetable for his departure as early as Monday, according to a report published Saturday.
Britain’s Observer newspaper reported that Starmer was discussing his future with his wife at his Chequers country residence before making a final decision.
The outlet reported that senior Labour Party figures expect a statement addressing his future as early as next week.
A government source told Reuters that Starmer remains focused on governing and pointed to previous comments in which he vowed to remain in office.
AS EPSTEIN-LINKED APPOINTMENT SPARKS BACKLASH, UK PM STARMER FACES PARTY REVOLT AMID RESIGNATION CALLS
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer awaits Switzerland’s Federal President Guy Parmelin on the sidelines of the G7 summit, in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday. (Isabel Infantes/Pool Reuters via AP)
Fox News Digital has reached out to the prime minister’s office for comment.
Pressure on Starmer has been building for months amid growing dissatisfaction within his party and concerns over the government’s handling of the economy and cost-of-living issues.
The political threat to Starmer intensified Friday after rival Andy Burnham won a seat in Parliament, positioning him to mount a formal leadership challenge.
LABOUR MP PUTS CABINET ‘ON NOTICE,’ THREATENS TO TRIGGER LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE AGAINST STARMER BY MONDAY
Britain’s Labour party candidate Andy Burnham speaks to supporters after the Makerfield by-election in Ashton in Makerfield, England, Friday. (Jon Super/AP)
Starmer congratulated Burnham following the victory, writing on X that voters, “chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate.”
When asked about Burnham’s apparent ambitions to replace him, Starmer insisted he intends to remain in office.
“I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that,” Starmer said.
UK’S STARMER JUGGLES TROUBLE AT HOME AS HE WALKS GEOPOLITICAL TIGHTROPE WITH TRUMP
Sir Keir Starmer is battling to save his position and refusing to stand aside despite dozens of Labout MP’s demanding he resigns. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Starmer has led the Labour Party since 2020 and became prime minister in 2024.
Calls for his resignation intensified last month, with more than 100 Labour lawmakers publicly urging him to step aside or set out a timetable for his departure. Several parliamentary aides also resigned in protest.
The internal revolt followed a series of disappointing local election results for Labour, which lost hundreds of council seats across England, surrendered long-held ground in Wales and fell behind political rivals in Scotland.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks a news conference at Downing Street in London, March 5. (Tolga Akmen/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)
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Starmer’s popularity has also declined amid a persistently high cost of living, sluggish economic growth and criticism over his acceptance of gifts from wealthy donors.
Fox News Digital’s James Cirrone and Emma Bussey, and Reuters contributed to this report.
United States President Donald Trump has pledged there will be no tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, unless they are collected by his own country.
Trump’s statement, made in a Saturday afternoon post on Truth Social, is the latest sign that a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) may be unravelling.
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“There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired,” Trump wrote, “unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America.”
Since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, Iran has successfully used the Strait of Hormuz as a pressure point, closing the strategic waterway to traffic.
But under the terms of Wednesday’s ceasefire memorandum, the strait is supposed to reopen for an interim period of 60 days. During that time, Iran is barred from charging vessels for passage.
On Saturday, however, Iran’s joint military command said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing a “clear breach” of the memorandum’s commitments.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), the agency that oversees military operations in the region, denied that report and maintained that the traffic continues to flow through the waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz has long been a flashpoint in the conflict between the US and Iran. Nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas is transported through the strait, as well as about 30 percent of the global fertiliser trade.
Closure of the strait has caused global fuel costs to soar and has tested agricultural sectors across the world.
Trump had responded to Iran’s chokehold over the strait by imposing a US naval blockade on Iran’s ports in the region.
But that naval blockade was lifted under the terms of Wednesday’s memorandum. The deal also paused fighting on all fronts in the regional conflict, including in Lebanon.
The memorandum, though, was not intended as a long-term deal. It serves as a launching point for negotiations on key issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear programme.
Several points of divergence also went unaddressed in the memorandum. Nowhere does the memo say that future tolls cannot be collected from the strait after the 60-day period expires.
Before the war, there was no charge for passage through the strait. Trump himself said in an interview with The New York Times that the waterway should remain “permanently toll-free”.
But he appeared to reverse course in Saturday’s post, once again floating the possibility that the US could extract tolls in the strait, while barring Iran from doing so.
No fees should be levied, Trump wrote, “unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed”.
He explained that such a charge would compensate the US “for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs”.
Trump used similar language in his New York Times interview earlier this week, floating the US becoming “the guardian of the Middle East” in exchange for 20 percent of its revenue.
Saturday’s post is not the first time Trump has mused about the US imposing tolls in the strait, either.
In April, for instance, he discussed the idea with reporters, saying, “What about us charging tolls? I’d rather do that than let them have them. Why shouldn’t we? We’re the winner. We won.”
There has been no indication that Trump’s plans have been officially presented to countries in the region, many of whom have struck a careful balance in their dealings with both the US and Iran during the war.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, have repeatedly said they will not rule out imposing tolls in the strait, framing the issue as a matter of sovereignty and regional negotiation. The strait sits between Iran and Oman.
Further discussions are expected on the matter in the coming weeks.
But such negotiations have been thrown into jeopardy amid ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which threaten to violate Wednesday’s ceasefire memorandum.
Iran claimed that Saturday’s closure of the strait was a result of new Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, which killed dozens of people after the ceasefire was announced.
Iranian officials have also said that any upcoming talks should focus on proper implementation of the initial memorandum, and that the 60-day negotiating period stipulated in Wednesday’s deal would begin after that was settled.
Pakistan, a top mediator between the US and Iran, has said that follow-up talks are set to begin in Switzerland on Sunday.
Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that an Iranian delegation, led by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, has already arrived for the negotiations.
On the US side, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Vice President JD Vance are expected to attend.
Vance departed for Switzerland late Saturday.
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