On Monday, November 6, Polish transporters intend to start blocking freight traffic at the automobile checkpoints on the Polish-Ukrainian border in Grebenny (Rava-Ruska), Dorohusk (Yagodyn) and Korchova (Krakowiec).
This can take up to two months. The organizers of the protest received official permission from the local authorities. It is expected that the blockade will last for two months, that is, until the beginning of January 2024 – this will include routes to the border crossings with Ukraine: Doroghusk-Yagodin, Korchova-Krakivets and Grebenne-Rava-Ruska.
According to kresy.pl, 200 people and 100 trucks are expected to participate in the protest in the Doroguska area alone. The blockade is a response to the liberalization of international transport rules in the European Union.
The protesters want to restore the system of permits for Ukrainian carriers to cross the border with Poland and reduce them to the level before the Russian attack (200,000 per year), prohibit the registration of companies in Poland if they operate outside the European Union, and the creation of separate queues for empty wagons ( now is their time) the waiting time is 10-12 days) and gaining access to the Ukrainian system “The Way”.
“The blockade will start on November 6 at 12 (13:00 Kyiv time – ed.),” said the organizer of the strike, Borkovskyi, adding that it will start simultaneously in three places near the border with Ukraine.
Polish carriers want to start Polish-Ukrainian negotiations. If they give the expected result, they will end the blockade
The co-organizer of the strike said that he would block the passage of trucks, and instead provide humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine. According to him, the blocking is not directed against Ukraine, but in the name of “leveling the playing field” with Ukrainian carriers.
“We would prefer not to organize this blockade at all. If our demands are met, we will not protest. However, today it is not clear whether anyone wants to communicate with us,” Borkovsky noted.
Among the main demands, the Polish organizer of the strike called for Poland to resume the practice of issuing permits to Ukrainian carriers.
He put forward another demand to exclude Polish trucks from the E-queue of empty cars returning from Ukraine to the Republic of Poland.
“Now, unfortunately, our drivers on empty trucks are waiting to leave Ukraine for 10-12 days,” said Borkovskyi. He added that, for example, this time Ukrainian drivers can wait at home, while Polish drivers are forced to stand at the border.
Borkowski also noted that the organizers want the Polish side to stop issuing licenses to transport companies with non-European capital.
“We are talking not only about Ukrainians, but also about Turks, Georgians, Russians and Belarusians, who register many companies in Poland,” said the organizer of the strike.
The Ministry of Repair of Ukraine initiated a meeting with representatives of Poland and the European Commission
This is to ensure the stable operation of border crossings. However, Deputy Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure of Ukraine Serhii Derkach said that it is impossible to satisfy most of the demands of Polish carriers. At the same time, he thundered that the Poles’ protests harm both sides. In May, the Ministry of Development of Ukraine decided to temporarily suspend the validity of permits for Polish transport companies that carry out transportation to Ukraine from any EU country. This happened after protests by Polish carriers.
Let’s note
It is not a question of blocking shipments of volunteer and military aid – this is how the organizers of the protest explained