Official: 2,000 trucks waiting in line at Polish border to enter Ukraine
Amid the ongoing blockade and protest by Polish truckers, 2,000 trucks are waiting in line to enter Ukraine from Poland, Border Guard Service spokesman Andrii Demchenko said to Ukrinform on Jan. 5.
Polish truckers began blocking four crossings with Ukraine in November in protest of the EU's liberalization of transit rules for Ukrainian truckers. The blockade resulted in huge lines on both sides of the border, stranding drivers in freezing temperatures.
Polish truckers say the suspension of the permit system has caused a massive influx of Ukrainian goods to the EU. Representatives of Polish and Slovak truckers also say that the transport of goods is undercutting business in their respective countries, which Ukrainian officials deny.
Demchenko said that four border crossings between Poland and Ukraine were blocked as of the morning of Jan. 5.
Other border crossings from Slovakia and Hungary are not blocked, he said.
Polish farmers renewed their blockade at the Shehyni-Medyka crossing on Jan. 4 after a temporary reprieve during the holiday season, and the protests are expected to continue until February.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Jan. 4 that he would try to convince Polish truckers to address their grievances in a different way without engaging in border blockades.
"I will be more effective in protecting Polish truckers when there is no blockade... Our arguments will be better heard when Poland is not blocking the border," he said.
Dinara Khalilova
