TRADE AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN UKRAINE AND POLAND IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE SYSTEM
Abstract
The deepening interdependence of neighbouring economies amid geopolitical turbulence constitutes a major challenge in contemporary international economic relations. The Ukraine-Poland partnership represents a particularly illustrative case, combining historical proximity, structural complementarity, and significant exposure to shocks caused by armed conflict and transformations in the global trade system. The relevance of this issue extends beyond the bilateral level, encompassing broader questions of economic resilience, regional integration, and the capacity of institutional frameworks to sustain cooperation under conditions of external pressure. The article analyses the evolution of trade and economic cooperation between Ukraine and Poland during a period marked by structural disruptions. It examines changes in the commodity structure and balance of bilateral trade under shifting economic and security conditions. Special attention is devoted to investment flows, including their sectoral concentration and dynamics, as well as labour migration, which has become a significant and politically sensitive component of bilateral relations. Agricultural trade and the tensions associated with it are also explored within the broader framework of European trade governance and competing stakeholder interests. The study further addresses the institutional dimension of cooperation, focusing on regulatory frameworks, intergovernmental mechanisms, and Ukraine’s European integration as key factors shaping economic exchange. Wartime disruptions to logistics and supply chains, along with the reconfiguration of trade routes, are interpreted as structural transformations with long-term consequences rather than temporary responses. The prospects for bilateral economic relations in the context of post-war reconstruction are considered a strategic issue dependent on policy choices, institutional capacity, and broader European and global economic developments. Overall, the research highlights the growing importance of Ukraine–Poland economic relations at a critical stage of European development, with implications extending beyond both countries.
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