On the eve of the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, members of the Ukrainian Agri Council brought agricultural machinery destroyed by the occupiers to the Ukrainian-Polish border so that Polish protesters could see the consequences of Russia's war in Ukraine with their own eyes. From this moment it will be on display at the Krakivets-Korchova checkpoint.

"Our goal is to show our Polish colleagues the conditions in which we have been working for two years. The machinery of our farmers, which we brought from different regions of Ukraine which had been destroyed by the Russian invaders. It was blown up in Ukrainian fields, shelled by artillery, and burned by the occupiers. Behind every combine or tractor there is a tragic history of the farm, sometimes with human losses. We pay a very high price for every grain seed," commented Andrii Dykun, Chairman of the Ukrainian Agri Council.

Over the two years of the war, the total cost of destroyed agricultural machinery is USD5.8 billion. About 181,000 pieces of agricultural machinery and equipment were partially or completely damaged. According to the latest World Bank estimates, the total losses and damages to the Ukrainian agricultural sector over the two years of war have risen to USD80 billion. This is compounded daily by the blockade of the Ukrainian-Polish border.

According to the participants of the UAC, Polish colleagues should discuss facts, not Russian propaganda, because Poland loses more than Ukraine from the blockade of the border. In the first year of the war alone, Polish exports to Ukraine almost reached USD10 billion for the first time, and in 2023 it amounted to USD6.6 billion. These results are many times higher than Ukrainian exports to Poland. However, due to the blockade of the border, both countries are now losing millions of dollars, which in the case of Ukraine is critical for the survival of small and medium-sized farmers, who make up 65% of the entire agricultural sector.

"We understand that the situation of Polish farmers is difficult, but it is not Ukraine's fault. There is an overproduction of grain on the world markets. The surplus of wheat in the EU is 36 million tons, and since last year's harvest, it has fallen in price by 25%. This is compounded by a huge oversupply from Russia. According to the estimates of Polish colleagues, Russian grain exports to Europe increased by 23% per month in the second half of 2023, while Ukrainian grain exports fell by 13%," said the UAC Chairman.

Ukrainian farmers emphasize that their Polish colleagues do not realize that if Ukraine loses the war, Poland will be threatened by Russian aggression, and then European farmers will think not about grain prices but about how to save their land.

The UAC members call on their Polish colleagues to engage in democratic dialogue and unity for victory. Aggressive political slogans provoked by the aggressor country should not stand in the way of our common European values and steps towards a united European community.