Polish truck drivers extend blockade of border crossings to Ukraine
Polish truck drivers and farmers have extended the blockades of border crossings with Ukraine that have been going on for weeks. On Monday, they began to bring truck traffic through the busy Medyka border crossing to a standstill around the clock. For days, thousands of truck drivers have been stuck in kilometer-long queues in front of the border stations.
The Polish truck drivers accuse their Ukrainian colleagues of using cheaper freight rates to force them out of transporting goods within the European Union.
According to the Polish border guard, the waiting time for trucks at the Medyka border crossing has so far been 127 hours. By extending the blockade, the truck drivers are joining a protest by farmers who are demanding state aid due to low grain prices.
Polish truck drivers have been blockading three other border crossings since November 6 and are demanding that the EU reintroduce mandatory permits for Ukrainian truck drivers entering the EU and for EU truck drivers entering Ukraine. Exceptions should only be granted for humanitarian aid and arms deliveries. The EU abolished the controls following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to estimates by the Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure, an average of 40,000 to 50,000 trucks per month cross the border with Poland via eight border crossings, twice as many as before the war. The majority of the goods are transported by Ukrainian companies.
- The queue of trucks at the Medyka border crossing has stretched for kilometers long due to the ongoing blockade initiated by Polish truck drivers and farmers.
- Despite the blockade, Ukrainian truck drivers continue to use cheaper freight rates to transport goods within the European Union, a move that Polish truck drivers perceive as forcing them out of the market.
- The blockade at various border crossings by Polish truck drivers isn't just targeted at Ukrainian drivers; they are also demanding the EU to reinstate mandatory permits for Ukrainian and EU truck drivers crossing each other's borders, except for humanitarian aid and arms deliveries.
Source: www.ntv.de
