Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Friday announced a package of measures intended to “de-Russify” the economy, curb inflation, protect jobs and resist Russian gas dependence.

“We will work towards de-Russifying the Polish and European economy, since Poland is today at the forefront of all the countries who are trying to inspire others to move away from a dependence on Russian gas, oil and coal,” he told reporters. 

The goal of the so-called “anti-Putin shield” was to resist “the impact of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s gas blackmail”, and in particular to “prevent a rise in food prices”, he added.

Poland will invest three billion zlotys (€636 million) in the state-owned pipeline operator Gaz-System. The firm is notably building a natural gas pipeline along the Baltic Sea floor that is due to supply Poles with Norwegian gas before the year’s end and ease the EU member’s dependence on Russian supplies.

Poland will invest €636m in the state-owned pipeline operator Gaz-System. The firm is building a natural gas pipeline along the Baltic Sea floor that is due to supply Poles with Norwegian gas before the year’s end

Asked about Russian coal purchases and a potential embargo, Morawiecki said he was waiting on “courageous decisions from the European Commission”. He added that Poland was looking to stock up in South Africa, Australia, Colombia, the United States or “everywhere” where Warsaw is not “blackmailed”. 

Morawiecki said the state would also act to contain the already strong uptick in food prices, with farmers to receive 500 zlotys (€107) per hectare of arable land and half that sum per hectare of pasture. The financial help will be capped at 50 hectares per farm. 

The sum echoes the popular child allowance programme introduced by the governing conservatives, promising families a monthly 500 zlotys for every child after the first. 

Poland’s head of government also singled out road haulage as another Polish industry impacted by the war in Ukraine and Western sanctions against Russia.