Polish farmers, who staged a protest in the village of Medyka and blocked the Sheghini border crossing with Ukraine, have suspended their blockade, Ukraine’s State Customs Service reported on Nov. 24.
The protest lasted for just over one day, starting on Nov. 23.
The decision followed a meeting with Polish Minister of Agriculture Czeslaw Siekierski, during which farmers agreed to submit their demands by Nov. 26, with the minister promising a response by December 10.
The blockade had restricted truck traffic from Ukraine, with only one truck per hour permitted from Poland to Ukraine. However, vehicles like buses, cars, humanitarian aid, and military convoys were allowed through.
Farmers were protesting the Polish government's failure to maintain the agricultural tax rate in 2024 at the same level as in 2023, according to RMF24.
They were also reportedly protesting over concerns about the European Union signing a free trade agreement with South American countries in the Mercosur bloc.
“We want to put pressure on the government to prevent this agreement from being reached,” said Roman Kondrov, a protest organizer.
As of November 24, truck traffic at the crossing has been fully restored, according to Ukraine's State Customs Service.
Polish farmers have staged multiple protests at border crossings between Poland and Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, including protests against Ukrainian agricultural imports in the EU.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
