Polish carriers agree to end Ukrainian border blockade
Blockade of the Ukraine-Poland border will end on January 17 (Getty Images)
Polish long-haul truckers, who have blocked some border crossings with Ukraine since early November, have reached an agreement on certain conditions with the government and will suspend their protest on January 17 at 13:00 Kyiv time, according to Reuters.
Polish drivers demanded that the EU reinstate the system requiring permits for Ukrainian companies to operate in the bloc, as well as for European long-haul truckers entering Ukraine.
"It won't be the end but there will be a suspension of the protest," said Tomasz Borkowski of the Committee to Protect Transporters and Transport Employers. "We agreed certain conditions, we will give the government time to work as it is a new government."
The Ministry of Infrastructure of Poland has organized a press conference for today, during which the agreement is expected to be signed.
Border blockade
Polish carriers began blocking several border checkpoints with Ukraine in early November.
According to the NBU's estimates, the reduction in external trade volume due to restrictions on the movement of freight transport across the western borders of Ukraine in November and December 2023 could reach $1.5 billion. In November, the reduction amounted to $860 million, and in December - $620 million.
Polish government changed after the parliamentary elections in October. The new Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the Polish party Law and Justice in the previous government "tried to play on anti-Ukrainian notes" in the last months of the election campaign.
Tusk said that he would not allow anyone in his government to build their stance on anti-Ukrainian sentiments.
