Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Warsaw on Wednesday coincided with a political crisis, when Poland's agricultural minister resigned on the same day over his failure to reduce the amount of Ukrainian agricultural products entering the country..

It's a key political issue for Poland's ruling Law and Justice party, which is trying to maintain support for farmers ahead of parliamentary elections this fall.. Politico writes about this, adding that Polish farmers are increasingly outraged by the fall in product prices caused by the rapid growth of Ukrainian imports..

Zelensky was greeted with all the pomposity due to the head of state, with military bands and marching soldiers. At the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Polish President Andrzej Duda awarded Zelensky with the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's oldest and most prestigious order, for being "

[see_also ids\u003d"

It became a symbol of how important relations between the two countries have become.. Poland and Ukraine have a complicated common history. They often cooperated and sometimes fought with each other.. However, Russia's full-scale invasion a year ago made them very close allies.. In his address last year, Zelensky even called Poland a "

The fact that Poland is the most devoted supporter of Kyiv in the EU brought political dividends to Warsaw, helping to overcome a certain ostracism of the Polish government due to its deviation from the democratic and legal principles of the organization.. But there is also a political price, as evidenced by the resignation of the Minister of Agricultural Policy Henryk Kowalczyk..

Kovalchyk said he decided to leave because the European Commission did not agree to renew tariffs and duties on Ukrainian grain imports, which his ministry had been calling for since December..

“Since it is clear that the basic demands of farmers will not be met by the European Commission, I have taken a decision and resigned from the post of Minister of Agricultural Policy and Rural Development,” Kowalczyk said in a statement..

Politico writes that this casts a shadow over Zelensky's presence in the Polish capital. At the same time, the publication notes that the visit of the Ukrainian president took place at a delicate moment for Poland's domestic politics.. In recent weeks, villages in the country have been covered by waves of protests from farmers.. Demonstrations sparked by government failure to cushion unprecedented surge in Ukrainian agri-food products threaten to shake traditional government support for rural areas.

[see_also ids\u003d"

Last week, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asking for measures to limit Ukrainian agricultural imports to the EU.. The letter was signed by the heads of government of four other EU countries bordering Ukraine.

“We need to support Ukraine, but let's do it wisely and, above all, put the interests of the country and Polish farmers in the first place! ”, Morawiecki wrote on Twitter, announcing the joint letter.

Kovalchik's resignation did not dispel the tension around Ukrainian agricultural exports.

How will resignation help us We need help here and now. We will not back down even if the minister changes,” said Stanislav Barna, one of the leaders of the farmers’ protests..