Approximately 1,300 trucks are queueing at three checkpoints towards Poland from Ukraine as of this morning after Polish farmers resumed the border blockade, according to a Ukrainian official.
These included the Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne, Shehyni-Medyka and Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoints, where the longest queue was formed at the Yahodyn checkpoint.
“For the past day, we have seen an increase in queues on the territory of Poland for those cargo vehicles waiting for the opportunity to cross the border to Ukraine,” said Andriy Demchenko, spokesman of the State Border Guard Service, on television.
Demchenko said there has also been an increase in traffic from Poland to Ukraine at the Krakivets-Korczowa checkpoint, which was not targeted by the blockade.
“As of this morning, there are a little more than 800 freight vehicles in queues opposite ‘Krakivets’ in the direction of Ukraine on the territory of Poland,” said Demchenko.
The protest staged by Polish farmers, which would take place at over 250 locations across Poland for a month, came about in response to the EU’s decision not to limit Ukrainian agricultural imports, which the Polish farmers said has led to excessive competition inside the nation.
Marcin Wilgos, a protest organizer, said Ukrainian farmers are not bound by EU regulations, and thus were able to lower the costs and as a result, created fierce competition in the Polish market.
“The glut of products from Ukraine, produced not in accordance with EU standards and procedures, is a huge burden for us,” Wilgos said.
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Polish Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski told state radio on Friday that it would consider a “complete” ban on certain Ukrainian agricultural imports.
“It may be needed for sugar, if the influx is too large. It may be needed for poultry,” Siekierski said, adding that the government intended to raise the issue in talks with Kyiv.
(Update: As of 14:00, protesters ceased the blockade at the Shehyni-Medyka checkpoint and traffic has been restored, according to the State Border Service of Ukraine.)
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Comments (4)
Farmers and truck drivers - the entitled, impressionable, easily manipulated tools of every hostile foreign government looking to weaken the West.
Ukraine needs a web portal for direct commerce with foreign consumers....just as United24 has become for securing Ukraine donations from the public abroad. I'm imagining an Amazon like portal for Ukraine. For the last 2 years in particular, those in sympathetic nations have a soft spot for purchasing Ukrainian sourced products...not just its culturally representative items, but the day to day basics and new innovations which Ukraine still wishes to export (war measures dictate that not all their products can presently be exported)
Would the polish truckers / farmers also object to their country becoming the 'war zone safe' export depot / warehouse for that endeavour, providing products /services similar to their own were not marketed in their country? It would generate new wealth for both nations without impacting Poland's domestic pricing.
However, if these two Polish unions object to even this benign gesture, then it would be worth investigating why their leadership remains so intent on intentionally further suppressing Ukraine's already war ravaged economy. Perhaps a MRGA plant in the Polish trucker / farmer union leadership will be revealed that should quickly be sent back to their preferred russian homeland.
At any rate I have faith Mr Donald Tusk will sort it all out in a rational way.
The funny thing is these people were beating the drums of EU membership of Ukraine back in 2014. Apparently the morons did not realizr that meant free trade and open competition, now they stab Ukraine in the back while Ukraine protects these. Typical eastern eiropean solidarity.
unfair competition. No such thing as unfair competition...competition is competition. What these farmers really want is protectionism.
I see janusz korwin mikke is stirring things up...again on behalf of russia.