Tusk seeks to convince Polish carriers to end border blockade with Ukraine
Photo: Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland (Getty Images)
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has pledged to attempt to persuade Polish carriers to stop blocking the passage of trucks at the border with Ukraine, according to the head of the Polish government statement at a press conference.
Tusk mentioned that he has requested the Polish Minister of Infrastructure, Dariusz Klimczak, to present him with prospects for resolving the border blockade with Ukraine, which Polish carriers continue.
"I will convince Polish carriers not to use the blockade as a method to protect their interests," added the Prime Minister.
He also expressed a desire to investigate why Polish farmers will resume the strike on one of the border crossing points with Ukraine on January 4th, despite agreements with the Polish Minister of Agriculture, Czesław Siekierski, to suspend the blockade.
"I expect to find out why trust (between the minister and the farmers - ed.) was so short-lived," clarified Tusk.
He explained that the blockade of the border by carriers and farmers does not help the Polish government address their issues amidst the rocket attacks by Russia on Ukraine.
The head of the government suggested that arguments from Poland may be better heard in Ukraine and the EU if the border blockade is stopped.
Poland-Ukraine border blockade
Since November 2023, Polish carriers have been blocking border crossing points with Ukraine, significantly complicating the movement of trucks.
Strikers demand that the European Union cancel the "transport visa-free" policy with Ukraine and reinstate the permit system. However, meeting such conditions is impossible.
It was expected in Poland that the border blockade would be lifted by the end of 2023, but this did not happen. Additionally, tomorrow, January 4th, farmers will resume protests at the Medyka - Shehyni crossing point.
