According to Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Ukraine is aiming to come to an agreement with the new Polish government this week to resolve the ongoing truck blockades at the countries’ border crossings.
Polish truckers restarted their blockade at one of the main crossings at the Ukrainian border on Monday, demanding the reinstatement of a system that requires Ukrainian companies to have permits to operate in the EU.
The blockade at the major Yahodyn-Dorohusk crossing was briefly lifted after a local mayor took action, fearing it would threaten jobs, but it has since resumed.
After meeting with Poland’s new infrastructure minister Dariusz Klimczak in Warsaw, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov stated, “We plan to come to a common position this week in Kyiv together with representatives of the Polish government.”
Kubrakov, who is also Ukraine’s minister of infrastructure, restoration and communities, highlighted the unblocking of the border as the primary focus of the meeting, noting that major crossings were completely blocked and only three trucks had left Yahodyn in the past day.
He also mentioned that representatives from both countries will hold another meeting in Kyiv before the week’s end.
Polish truckers have been protesting, claiming they are losing business to Ukrainian companies offering cheaper services and transporting goods within the EU, rather than just between Ukraine and the EU.
“We presented key figures and analytical data on freight traffic by Ukrainian and Polish carriers, which show that the problems that the protesters are talking about do not actually exist,” Kubrakov said.
Approximately 3,900 trucks are on the Polish side waiting for permission to enter Ukraine, according to Ukrainian transport analysts.
Poland’s newly appointed Prime Minister Donald Tusk assured last week that the new government will seek to quickly end the truck drivers’ protest at the Ukrainian border.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Susan Fenton)
