'EU border should not be hostage.' Ukrainian Foreign Ministry urges Poland to unblock border
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has called on the Polish authorities to unblock the border between the two countries, according to Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko.
"The blocking of the Polish-Ukrainian border, no matter what slogans it is accompanied by, has no justification. Land borders remain important in the face of Russian aggression. The actions of Polish protesters and some radical Polish politicians undermine Ukraine's economy and its resilience to repel Russian aggression," he says.
Nikolenko emphasizes that the border between Poland and Ukraine is also the border of the EU.
"It should not be held hostage to any political interests," the official says.
He adds that the Foreign Ministry also considers the aggressive attitude of the protesters towards Ukrainians and Ukrainian cargo crossing the Polish-Ukrainian border unacceptable.
"The anti-Ukrainian slogans heard at the border confirm the politically motivated nature of the action. Its goal is to provoke further aggravation of bilateral relations. Instead, the protesters make no mention of the threats associated with the import of grain and other agricultural products from Russia and other countries," Nikolenko says.
He says that Ukraine calls on the Polish authorities to provide a legal assessment of the actions of the protesters, ensure the unblocking of the border, and take measures to humiliate anti-Ukrainian rhetoric based on groundless arguments.
"In the face of external challenges, it is extremely important to preserve the level of solidarity that Ukraine and Poland have built in recent years. Ukrainians and Poles must stand up for good neighborly relations, repel any attempts to undermine mutual trust, and jeopardize the security of our states," he says.
Border blockade
Earlier, Polish farmers said that starting February 20 they would block all border crossings with Ukraine. This also includes entrances to railway stations and seaports.
On February 9, Polish farmers blocked three checkpoints on the border with Ukraine, hampering the movement of trucks and trains. Later it became known that they had unblocked one of the checkpoints on the border with Ukraine, the Shehyni-Medyka checkpoint.
On February 12, Polish farmers blocked two more checkpoints on the border with Ukraine. They also continued their protest at the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint.
According to the State Border Guard Service, the Polish protesters are blocking traffic only for trucks and promised to let cars and buses through.
Read what is happening on the Ukrainian-Polish border and how it is being commented on both sides in the RBC-Ukraine article.
