Border Guard: 3,300 trucks stuck at Poland-Ukraine border due to blockade
Around 3,300 trucks are stuck in line at blocked checkpoints on the Polish side of the Polish-Ukrainian border as the blockade continues, Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on Dec. 8.
Polish protesters have been blocking the movement of trucks at four checkpoints since November, mainly in protest of the liberalization of EU transport rules for Ukrainian trucks.
As drivers remain stranded in freezing temperatures and impacts on Ukraine's economy mount, last week's talks between Kyiv and Warsaw brought only modest progress.
The longest lines are currently at the Medyka-Shehyni and the Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska crossings, with 1,200 and 850 trucks waiting there, respectively, Demchenko said.
"If earlier, 1,200-1,300 trucks crossed the Yahodin checkpoint in both directions, then in the past 24 hours, only 160 cargo vehicles were recorded at that border crossing," Demchenko added.
While Polish protesters said they are blocking only commercial transport, Ukrainian officials complained that the blockade also complicates humanitarian and military supplies, undermining Kyiv's ability to resist Russian aggression.
Polish truckers launched the blockade on the grounds that a high number of Ukrainian drivers entering Poland are hauling goods from Poland to other countries, undercutting local businesses that cannot match lower Ukrainian prices.
Ukrainian officials and industry representatives deny the accusations.
Slovak truckers have also joined the protest, intermittently blocking border crossings between Slovakia and Ukraine.
Nate Ostiller
