Poland lifts blockade at border posts with Ukraine

All road border posts between Poland and Ukraine have been reopened after months of blockade by Polish farmers and transporters who denounced unfair competition from Kyiv, Polish customs authorities said this Monday.

“We can cross all border posts,” Michal Derus, a spokesman for Lublin customs, said in a statement to French news agency AFP after the Hrebenna post was unblocked on Sunday evening.

The remaining crossings were opened one after another by decision of protesters or local authorities.

Farmers blocked border crossings with Ukraine to protest imports of food from the neighboring country, imports of which were allowed in 2022 by the European Union (EU) – following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – a decision that has led to turmoil in the agricultural and food market. in Poland.

Derus explained that “from now on, all trucks will be allowed to pass unless they are transporting products subject to sanctions” under the embargo imposed by Poland, especially on grains.

“If trucks transport this type of product (subject to the embargo), they will be sealed and will only be able to travel in transit,” he added.

Kyiv immediately welcomed this decision by Poland.

“We express our gratitude to the Polish ministry for their constructive work on unblocking the border. We also thank the industry associations of both countries,” said Minister of Agriculture of Ukraine Nikolai Solsky.

The discovery, according to Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture, is the result of negotiations with farmers and comes after the announcement of government aid to farmers who are unable to sell their wheat stocks on a saturated market.

“Difficult” bilateral negotiations between ministries and associations will continue, Solsky assured, announcing a new round of negotiations on May 7.