Border strike: Ukraine proposes opening lanes for empty trucks to Polish authorities

Serhiy Derkach wrote about it on his Facebook, as reported by Espreso.

He described the meeting as challenging. The main demand from the protesters is to reinstate the permit system for freight transportation.

"This isn't typically discussed at such meetings. For us, 'transport visa-free' must continue and be extended until we achieve victory. The absurdity of the demand is that Polish protesters are not approaching their government; instead, they want Ukraine to seek EU permits. Their focus is solely on this issue," explained Derkach.

He mentioned that the Ukrainian side is attempting to find compromises to enhance throughput and fulfill existing memoranda, but it's proving to be difficult. They proposed to the Polish authorities the opening of lanes for empty trucks on the “Uhryniv - Dołhobyczów” and “Hrushiv - Budomierz” highways. "We are awaiting a response," Derkach stated.

"We stand firm and emphasize: blocking the border violates several agreements. The border must be unblocked immediately," he added.

According to The Guardian, Ukraine has not reached an agreement with Polish carriers regarding the border blockade.

“We have not reached an agreement. The Ukrainian side does not take our demands into account,” said Rafal Mekler, a leader of a protest in the border town of Dorohusk.

Background

Strikes have erupted on the Poland-Ukraine border due to increased competition following the opening of international transportation between Ukraine and EU nations. To address this, the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development initiated talks with Poland and the European Commission.

Responding to the potential border blockage, the State Border Guard Service provided comments, and Ukraine formally communicated its concerns to Poland regarding the planned strike by Polish carriers at the Ukrainian-Polish border.

On November 6, Polish carriers initiated a strike at the border. The Ministry of Infrastructure noted that no official demands had been submitted by the Polish carriers to Kyiv.

By the evening of November 7, Polish carriers had fully halted the movement of cargo vehicles at two border checkpoints with Ukraine.

Subsequently, it was revealed that trucks are facing up to a 90-hour wait to enter Ukraine.

• Vitaly Portnikov wrote that the recent attempt by Polish transport companies to block the border crossings between Poland and Ukraine to stop the flow of goods from Ukraine into the European Union serves as a reminder of how challenging Ukraine's journey towards European integration can be.