Polish Hauliers Threaten to Block All Checkpoints on Border with Ukraine

Monday, 27 November 2023

Polish hauliers have threatened to block the operation of all checkpoints on the border with Ukraine, sparking tensions.

"We will intensify the protest by not letting vehicles from Ukraine through all border crossings with Poland. But I think a solution will be found by then as everything is going in the right direction," said Adam Izdebski, a representative of the Polish Committee for the Protection of Carriers and Employers in the Transport Sector.

Polsat news reported that the queue of lorries at the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint stretched for 30 kilometres. The average waiting time is 127 hours.

Firefighters and volunteers in the area of Przemyśl are providing warm food to the stranded drivers.

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Polish drivers have also been waiting in queues on the Ukrainian side for several days.

Polish hauliers, who have been blocking three checkpoints on the Polish-Ukrainian border for road freight since 6 November, commenced a blockade of another checkpoint, Medyka-Shehyni, on 23 November. The blockade may last until 3 January.

On 22 November, the Ukrainian parliament approached the new Polish Sejm (lower chamber of the Polish parliament) and Senate with a proposal to unblock the border for hauliers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had an understanding of how to act and that "it takes a little time" to make progress.

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