Polish Farmers Promise to Block Border with Ukraine until Early January

Polish farmers who joined the blockade of hauliers on the border with Ukraine are planning to continue their protest 24 hours a day until 3 January, although they originally planned to block the border checkpoint until 25 November.

"We sold maize very cheaply, we are losing 2,000 zlotys per hectare. The costs per hectare are 5,500 zlotys, and we received only 3,300. Liquidity loans, which supported us to some extent, were withdrawn so that we could continue to function as farmers. Unfortunately, the government that is now finishing its term has taken these loans away from us," Roman Kondrów, one of the protest organisers, said.

As reported by Wiadomości Rolnicze Polska, Kondrów said that "the third demand is very simple, that the land tax is not raised for us."

"We stand in solidarity with the hauliers because these industries have suffered the most," he added, announcing that only two trucks a day would be allowed through the border crossing from Monday to 3 January.

He also said that all humanitarian aid would be allowed to enter Ukraine without restrictions.

As reported, Polish hauliers, who have been blocking three checkpoints on the border with Ukraine for lorries since 6 November, began blockading another checkpoint on Thursday – Medyka-Shehyni.

Rafał Mekler, the campaign organiser and head of the Lublin branch of the far-right Confederation party, announced that Polish hauliers intend to extend the protest until 1 February 2024.

On 22 November, the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada addressed the new Polish Sejm and Senate with a proposal to unblock the border for hauliers.