Polish protestors on the border with Ukraine plan to temporarily unblock traffic at the Korczowa-Krakovets crossing, Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service said on air on March 9.
Demchenko said on the national telethon that the border blockade could end on March 13, but remained cautious about whether or not the protestors will resume traffic flow after the date.
Currently, 2,300 trucks are held up in lengthy lines in both the direction of Poland and Ukraine, according to Demchenko. He noted that the situation is the worst at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk and Medyka-Shehyni checkpoints as protestors block all trucks coming into Poland.
The protestors, led by Polish farmers, claim that the influx of Ukrainian agricultural products is of poor quality and undermines local businesses amid rising costs across Europe. They also oppose the EU's Green Deal policies.
Protestors began blocking border crossings with Ukraine in early February. Currently, six checkpoints are blocked.
Demchenko said that over the last day, 70 trucks entered Ukraine through the Yagodin crossing and 20 through Shehini.
Protestors are allowing passenger vehicles and humanitarian aid to enter Ukraine, Demchenko said. However, the Kyiv Independent reported last month that some trucks carrying humanitarian and military aid were stuck in queues for days.
The dispute has led to deteriorating relations between Kyiv and Warsaw. Protestors spilled Ukrainian grain on several occasions sparking outrage in Ukraine.
Polish farmers, agrarian workers, foresters, and hunters staged a general strike in Warsaw on March 6, a week after Polish farmers organized a mass protest in Warsaw on Feb. 27
Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a press conference on March 4 that the border blockade and ongoing trade disputes with Poland have a higher economic cost to Warsaw than Kyiv.
Only 5% of Ukrainian agricultural exports are transported by road, with 90% being shipped out via maritime routes, he said.
"Ukraine has not exported wheat, corn, or sunflower seeds to Poland since September of last year,” Shmyhal noted.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
