In Poland, an apple a day not only keeps the doctor away, it is now a political statement. On Thursday the business newspaper Puls Biznesu published an editorial entitled “Stand against Putin: eat apples, drink cider” after Russia banned apple imports from Poland.

Several Poles have since endorsed the campaign on social media, publishing tongue-in-cheek photographs of themselves or others eating apples on Twitter with the hashtag #jedzjablka (#eatapples), including the head of the national security bureau, Stanislaw Koziej, MEP Roza Thun and presenters at national broadcaster Telewizja Polska. A Facebook page called Jedz Jablka Na Zlosc Putinowi (“Eat apples to annoy Putin”) also sprang up overnight.

The Polish agriculture minister, Marek Sawicki, said in an interview with Polish media that Russian consumers would eventually force Putin’s government to overturn the ban. He added that the ministry was hoping to find new markets for its fruit growers in China, Japan and Vietnam.

The Russian ban on certain fruit and vegetables, including apples, pears, cherries, nectarines, plums, and varieties of cabbage, was announced on Monday while EU leaders were debating the latest round of sanctions against Russian businesses, and will come into effect on Friday. Many Poles see the move as a retaliatory measure. Russia, which imported €336m (£266m) worth of fruit and vegetables from Poland last year, denies the ban is politically motivated, citing instead Polish violations of health regulations and documentation procedures.

Poland is the world’s largest exporter of apples, with €438m worth of exports a year. The fruit plays a key part in many national dishes, such as apple dumplings and the szarlotka, or apple pie.