Poland has suspended talks with Ukraine regarding the Polish farmer protests at the countries' shared border over corruption suspicions involving former Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi, Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak told the media outlet Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
The farmers began blocking trucks at several border crossings in February in protest of Ukrainian agricultural imports and the EU's Green Deal.
The State Customs Service said that traffic had resumed in both directions as of 1:40 p.m. local time.
"We cannot in any way harm Ukraine in a situation where the fate of the war is being decided... I am counting on reflection and rejection of this form of protest," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
The European Council announced on April 8 that it had reached a provisional deal with European Parliament representatives to extend the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU until June 2025, but with new restrictions on agriculture products.
"According to the information from our Polish colleagues, farmers, who restrain the traffic, will pass 15 empty trucks per day," the Border Guard's statement said as of 8:00 p.m. local time.
Polish protesters resumed their blockade of the Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv crossing on the Polish-Ukrainian border, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service reported on Telegram on April 2.
Negotiations between the Polish and Ukrainian governments will take a few weeks to resolve the issue of Polish farmers blocking the border with Ukraine, Pawel Kowal, Chairman of the Polish Sejm's Foreign Affairs Committee, said in an interview with publicly funded radio broadcaster Ukrainian Radio.
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.
Polish farmers, agrarian workers, foresters, and hunters staged a general strike in Warsaw on March 6 in protest against Ukrainian agricultural imports and EU environmental policies.
All six checkpoints at the Ukrainian-Polish border remain blocked due to the ongoing Polish farmers’ protests, State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on March 3 on national television.
The European Union will strengthen control over carriers' compliance with agreements on transporting grain from Ukraine to address concerns of protesting farmers and free up trade, Reuters reported on March 1, citing the EU Transport Commissioner Adina Valean.
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