**Polish Farmers Plan Large Protest in Warsaw**
Polish farmers are planning a big protest in Warsaw on January 3 to show their opposition to Ukrainian agricultural imports and EU agricultural policies. This follows several smaller protests by Polish farmers against Ukrainian imports since the start of the war.
Farmers say that cheaper Ukrainian imports have hurt their business and disrupted Poland’s domestic market. They argue that the EU’s free trade regime with Ukraine is unfair to Polish producers. The protest will take place in front of the European Commission’s office before moving to the National Theater.
The Union of Agricultural Organizations is organizing the protest, which aims not only to highlight the issue of Ukrainian imports but also other concerns such as the EU’s proposed free trade agreement with South America and the perceived decline of Poland’s economy due to EU policies.
**Polish Government Supports Farmers**
The Polish government has expressed support for farmers’ concerns, highlighting challenges posed by the EU’s trade policies while also seeking to maintain solidarity with Ukraine during the ongoing war. Warsaw has already implemented bans on certain Ukrainian products, such as grain, citing negative impacts on Polish agriculture.
**Ukraine Conflict Update**
In other news from Ukraine, two Russian helicopters were downed in a recent strike by Ukrainian-made naval drones. The leader of Germany’s social-democratic party condemned the violence and called for an end to the conflict.
Russia launched 72 drones against Ukraine overnight, killing one civilian and destroying many Russian drones. Ukrainian forces also reported significant losses, including over 38,000 troops and more than 1,000 pieces of equipment since the beginning of Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
**International Reaction**
The international community is closely watching the situation in Ukraine. The European Commission spokesperson said that Hungary failed to meet requirements for an aid package, which was conditional on implementing reforms to bring the country into compliance with EU standards by the end of 2024.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia’s decision to halt gas supplies to Moldova and called it “energy blackmail.” He also expressed gratitude to the American people for their support.
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