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Border Guard: Polish protesters unblock Medyka-Shehyni border crossing

1 min read
Polish farmers take part in a protest against the EU Green Deal and the import of Ukrainian grain in Warsaw.
Polish farmers take part in a protest against the EU Green Deal and the import of Ukrainian grain in Warsaw, Poland on March 6, 2024. (Omar Marques/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Polish protesters have completely lifted their blockade at the Medyka-Shehyni crossing at the Polish-Ukrainian border, Ukraine's Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko told Hromadske on March 21.

Polish farmers began blocking trucks at six border crossings, including Medyka-Shehyni, in February in protest of Ukrainian agricultural imports and the EU's Green Deal.

A blockade at one of the checkpoints – Korczowa-Krakovets – was lifted earlier this month. Protests are ongoing at the remaining four crossings: Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska, Dorohusk-Yahodyn, Zosin-Ustyluh, and Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv.

Protesters at the Medyka-Shehyni crossing initially announced shortly before noon on March 20 that they would start restricting the passage of buses, in addition to trucks. At around 9 p.m. Kyiv time, Ukrainian border guards received information that the blockade at this crossing would be lifted completely, Demchenko said.

As of the morning of March 21, 850 trucks are waiting in lines in Poland at the four blocked crossings, with the most problematic being Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska and Dorohusk-Yahodyn.

The ongoing blockade has led to deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Warsaw. Protestors spilled Ukrainian grain on several occasions, sparking outrage in Ukraine.

Polish farmers also launched large-scale protests across Poland on March 20, with the Polish police reporting hundreds of protest events across all regions of the country. Similar protests were held in Warsaw on March 6 and on Feb. 27.

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Martin Fornusek

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Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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