Expanding the blockade of border crossings with Ukraine by Polish truckers

– International news – Tasnim news agency According to the German newspaper Die Welt, Polish truck drivers blocked several border crossings with Ukraine for three weeks. are They accuse their Ukrainian colleagues of forcing them to transport goods in the EU at cheaper freight rates and therefore join the protest of Polish farmers.

Polish truck drivers and farmers They have extended the blockade of the border crossings with Ukraine, which has been going on for weeks. On Monday, they began a 24-hour suspension of truck traffic through the busy Medyka border crossing. For days, thousands of intercity truck drivers have been stuck in kilometer-long queues in front of border stations. According to Polish border guards, the waiting time for trucks at the Medica border crossing was 127 hours. As the blockade is extended, the drivers join protests by farmers who are calling for government help due to low grain prices.

Polish truck drivers have blocked three more border crossings since November 6, calling on the European Union to Re-establish mandatory licenses for Ukrainian truck drivers entering the EU and for EU truck drivers entering Ukraine. According to their request, exceptions should be considered only for humanitarian aid and arms delivery. The European Union lifted these controls after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

According to estimates by the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, an average of 40,000 to 50,000 trucks per month pass through 8 border crossings. They cross with Poland, which is twice as much as before the war. Most of the goods are transported by Ukrainian companies.

The head of the Commercial Agriculture Club of Ukraine recently warned that the situation on the border between this country and Poland is critical and will probably lead to a lack of basic food in this country.

He emphasized that the continued blockade of the border crossings of this country by Polish truck drivers has reduced food imports from the European Union to Ukraine.

He said: The situation at the border is critical. Thousands of trucks are waiting in long queues on both sides of the border. Because of this, the flow of products from Europe on blocked routes has been greatly reduced.

Poland and Ukraine are traditionally close allies. Since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Warsaw has been one of Kiev’s biggest supporters and arms suppliers. But recently, disputes over Ukrainian grain exports have worsened the relationship between the two countries.

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