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The border blockade on the Ukrainian-Polish border has been going on for several months – it was initiated by Polish freight carriers at the beginning of November and the border crossing was paralyzed until December.
Then officials from both countries managed to reach a partial ceasefire, and by Christmas the blockade of trucks at the same checkpoint was lifted.
The border checkpoint resumed normal operations, with around 300 trucks passing through every day. But now the Poles are returning to the blockade and are threatening to only allow one or two trucks per hour through the border, which means a very slow border crossing.
The official reason is that Polish farmers demand subsidies for corn, support measures for farmers in processing loans and maintaining taxes at current levels.
Poland’s agriculture minister has already said he will meet the demands, but farmers want written confirmation and are making no secret of their support for the Polish hauliers who have sparked the widespread protests.
“You have to understand us – we care about our internal market. We pay taxes here, we build and repair these roads, but your carriers just operate them. Humanitarian aid, food – we understand that, we let such burdens pass through,” he explained to Ukrainian journalists that a Polish farmer met at the border.
Buses and cars are also not prevented from crossing the border. The blockade only applies to trucks, excluding humanitarian aid.
On Thursday morning, when the blockade resumed, around 800 trucks were waiting to enter Ukraine.
They also have no place nearby to change their route, as restrictions imposed by Poles since November, when cargo transporters began their major protests, continue at other border checkpoints.
They reject the relief measures for Ukrainian airlines introduced after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The more difficult border crossing certainly affects companies on both sides – not just Ukrainians, but also Poles, who also deliver a lot of goods to Ukraine.
However, only the Ukrainians themselves estimate how much the blockade of Polish freight companies organized since the beginning of November has cost, and the losses are enormous – a total of 400 million US dollars (365 million euros).
The losses are not only due to the fact that the shipments have to wait longer at the border. Many cargoes can also be damaged if stuck at border points.
For example, at the end of December, Ukrainian media reported that some carriers had to wait at the Jahodina-Dorohusk border checkpoint for more than a month.
When the trucker protests began in November, Ukrainians were waiting for the new government in Poland to be adopted and for it to resolve the simmering conflict. Following the confirmation of Donald Tusk’s government, several meetings were also held in December where there were high hopes that the blockade would be lifted by Christmas.
It was partially successful. But now there is a new addition to the blockade. On Wednesday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed to persuade trucking companies to end the blockade, while vowing to do everything possible to protect Polish trucking companies in unequal competition with Ukrainian carriers.
CONTEXT:
The blockade of goods transport at the border with Ukraine organized by Polish road transport companies has been going on since November 6th, as a result of which huge queues have formed on both sides of the border, both on the Ukrainian side and in Poland.
Polish freight carriers are protesting against what they believe to be unfair competition from Ukrainian companies.
Polish businessmen report that the neighboring country’s transport companies have significantly lower costs, including wages. The electronic queuing system in Ukraine is also said to be discriminatory, as Polish airlines have to wait significantly longer, even if the flight is without cargo.
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