Polish farmers start a "bus" blockade on the border: Kubrakov appeals to Polish authorities

During large-scale protests across the country, Polish farmers began blocking the movement of passenger buses on the border with Ukraine at the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint. In connection with this, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov appealed to Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski.

Kubrakov said that ordinary citizens cannot and should not be held hostage to political confrontations. "Less than 10 days ago, the Polish police reported that passenger buses were crossing the border without any obstacles. What do we see today? The strikers are blocking traffic on the road in front of the Medyka border crossing point adjacent to the Ukrainian Shehyni border crossing point. Dear Minister, Mr. Marcin Kierwinski, why do you allow this? Should people be held hostage to political confrontations in a civilized country?" Kubrakov said.

The"bus" blockade on the border began at about 11:10 local time (12:10 Kyiv time) on March 20, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) reported. Border guards urge people to take this information into account when planning their trips.

"The organizers are blocking traffic on the road in front of the Medyka checkpoint, adjacent to the Ukrainian checkpoint Shehyni. They plan to let one bus pass every two hours both to enter and leave Ukraine," the statement said.

It is not yet known how long the blockade will last. If such information becomes available, it will be reported by the Polish side.

The situation on the border with Ukraine has become more complicated amid a nationwide strike by Polish farmers. On March 20, farmers took part in more than 50,000 protests across Poland.

The strikers blocked roads with agricultural machinery in five hundred settlements and at the entrances to them. The farmers invite the townspeople to "spend this day with them" because people still cannot get to work and educational institutions.

The protesters oppose the European Union's (EU) Green Deal, imports of agricultural products from Ukraine, and the overall "dramatic situation" in agriculture. The protests continue even though the farmers have already signed an agreement with the Polish Ministry of Agriculture.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, Ukraine lost UAH 7.7 billion in February 2024 alone due to the blockade of the border by Polish farmers, an amount comparable to the cost of 385 thousand FPV drones. These funds were supposed to go to the state budget and be fully used to finance security and defense, as well as other customs revenues. In other words, the blockade undermines Ukraine's ability to finance the army.

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