The blockade will expand: in a few days, carriers will join Polish farmers at the border

Polish carriers have announced that they will resume their strike at the Ukrainian border on March 1. Drivers and representatives of logistics companies will join the blockade already organized by Polish farmers.

This was reported by RMF24. The carriers' protest action was suspended on January 17. Then they said they would wait for the Polish government and the European Commission to fulfill their demands by March 1.

However, according to Maciej Wronski, President of the Polish Transport and Logistics Association, the negotiations between the carriers and the authorities have not progressed. "There was an announcement from the Ministry of Infrastructure that a draft law would be presented that would strengthen control over Ukrainian carriers. Several weeks have passed and we have no draft," Vronsky said.

According to him, some carriers are still protesting, but unofficially. "We see these people at farmers' protests. For me, this is also absolutely not serious, we have to give the government a chance to implement the points of the agreement concluded in January. I am against intensifying the protests, I am against blocking roads, I am for solving the problems of specific communities," Wronski added.

However, according to the Polish media, signals from farmers and carriers indicate that if the situation does not change by Thursday, February 29, the scale and number of protests on the border with Ukraine will only increase. The journalists also reminded that not only Ukraine, but also Poland suffers from the border blockade.

The losses from the previous blockade of carriers for Poland amounted to several hundred million euros, according to media reports. "Such a large amount is due to the fact that the cost of all annual transportation from Poland to Ukraine is about 10 billion euros," the article says.

What the Poles demand: Ukraine tried to negotiate

The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine reported that in February, Deputy Minister Serhiy Derkach met with his Polish counterpart Pawel Ganczar with the participation of representatives of the customs and border services of both countries. The talks took place at the border and focused on preventing the blockade of the border by Polish carriers.

"Our position remains unchanged: we have to solve problems together and are open to dialogue and compromises that will not harm the interests of carriers. The blockade of the border is harming the economies of Ukraine, Poland and the EU... We continue to operate pilot projects at the Yahodyn - Dorohusk and Nizhankovychi - Malkhovychi checkpoints until March 1," Derkach emphasized.

The system will separate the queue of loaded and empty vehicles at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint, as well as eliminate the need for empty trucks to register in the system at the Nyzhankovychi-Malhovice checkpoint.

"The system is transparent and helps minimize any risks of corruption. But the main thing for its operation is an uninterrupted and predictable number of trucks crossing the border. Only then will each driver be able to know exactly when they will cross the border. Under the blockade organized by Polish farmers, no carrier can plan its activities, and the Ukrainian economy continues to suffer losses," Derkach summarized.

Nevertheless, Polish carriers are demanding the abolition of the eCheck and the return of the system of special permits for Ukrainian drivers to the EU. Ukraine has repeatedly stated that the country will not take such steps. they contradict agreements with the European Union as a whole, and Poland is violating these agreements.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, one of the organizers of the Polish protests on the border of Ukraine turned out to be the owner of a transport company that manages to make money on the blockade. We are talking about a member of the Polish border blockade committee, the head of the protest at the Yagodyn-Dorogusk checkpoint, and a politician Edyta Ozigala.

Meanwhile, the number of provocations on the blocked border is growing. For example, Polish farmers were caught trying to break the wheels of Ukrainian cars. Protesters near the Rava-Ruska checkpoint scattered nails and screws all over the road to prevent Ukrainian vehicles, including passenger vehicles, from continuing to move.

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