Some 2,250 Ukrainian trucks stuck in queues at all six Polish checkpoints, State Border Guard Service reports
Nation28 February 2024, 05:35 PM
"Six directions are still blocked,” he said.
"Polish protesters are not letting trucks coming from Ukraine through the Yahodyn checkpoint at all. In recent days, the number of vehicles leaving Ukraine has been zero. 65 trucks crossed the border into Ukraine in the past day. This is an extremely low rate of crossing through this checkpoint, as its capacity is 1200-1400 trucks per day in both directions."
The Shehyni checkpoint also has a very low number of crossings. Only 45 trucks crossed the border here in both directions in the past 24 hours.
As of this morning, 2,250 trucks are queuing in Poland, most of them at the Krakivets, Yahodyn, and Rava-Ruska checkpoints. "Cars and buses are crossing the border freely everywhere, there are no restrictions for this category of vehicles on the other side of the border," he said.
Earlier in the day, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Warsaw was considering expanding the current ban on agricultural imports from Ukraine to Poland if the EU fails to come up with an acceptable solution to protect Polish farmers.
On Feb. 26, the President of the Polish Transport and Logistics Association said that Polish truckers, who paused their protests at the Ukraine border in January, were gearing up to join forces with farmers and restart blockades at crossing points starting March 1.
On Feb. 23, Ukraine presented its plan to resolve the issue, endorsing European Commission's restrictions on agricultural exports from Ukraine, specifically concerning the export limitations on poultry meat, eggs, and sugar. Additionally, without Poland's permission, grains, corn, sunflower, and rapeseed from Ukraine will not enter the Polish market.
On Feb. 19, Polish farmers blocked the movement of a passenger train from Ukraine.
On Feb. 20, Poland asked Ukraine to cancel the electronic queue for three border crossing points (BCPs).
Polish protesters also blocked the railroad near the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint and spilled grain out of railroad cars on the same day.
In response to the actions of the Poles, Ukrainian carriers began a protest at three checkpoints on the border with Poland on Feb. 20: Rava-Ruska, Shehyni, and Krakivets.
On Feb. 16, parliamentary Finance Committee Chairman Danylo Hetmantsev wrote that the ongoing blockade of the Ukrainian-Polish border was causing significant financial losses for Ukraine and “if the border is not unblocked by the end of the month, the Ukrainian budget will lose UAH 7.7 billion ($202 million) in revenues from the State Customs Service”.