Trucks from Ukraine blocked again at main Polish customs posts
Polish farmers, who are demanding measures to face Ukrainian competition, resumed their blockade of one of the main customs posts on Thursday, where they oppose the passage of trucks.
“After a break for the holiday period, we resumed blocking the Medyka post in the morning [Sud-Est]due to lack of written agreement with the government”Rafal Kondrow, one of the organizers of the movement, told Agence France-Presse (AFP), adding that the blockade would continue until February 3.
Polish farmers say they are suffering from falling prices resulting from Ukrainian grain imports, the conditions for which were eased early last year, and are demanding subsidies and soft loans. Polish truck drivers, who are also protesting against the ” unfair competition ” of their Ukrainian colleagues and the relaxation of European Union access rules, have also been holding their trucks since the beginning of November at the three other main customs posts.
“We are talking with the government, but for the moment, without result”, Rafal Mekler, one of the organizers of the blockades, told AFP on Thursday. Farmers and truckers allow three trucks to pass per hour and do not oppose passenger traffic or the transit of humanitarian and military aid.
The new Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, promised on Wednesday to try to convince Polish carriers “not to use the blockade as a method to defend their interests”while ensuring that his government “will[it] All “ to protect their interests “in this unequal competition with Ukrainian carriers”. “I will be more effective in defending Polish carriers when the blockade ends (…). Our arguments will be better heard when Poland is not a country blocking the border”he added.
Warsaw and kyiv, as well as representatives of the European Union, have repeatedly tried to defuse the crisis on the border, but no agreement has yet been reached.