In Violation of EU Law, Poland to Extend Its Border Blockade with Ukraine for Another Month
Polish participants in the blockade of checkpoints on the border with Ukraine have announced their intention to extend the protest for a month – until 1 February 2024. The organiser of the protest, Rafał Mekler, head of the Lublin branch of the far-right Confederation party, announced this on Twitter (X).
According to the Pole, the protest organisers have applied to extend the border blockade at the Yagodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint until 1 February. "We have submitted another application. The protest in Dorohusk has been extended until 1 February 2024. Accepted without reservations!" Mekler wrote.
Since 6 November, Polish carriers have continued to block the other three border crossings with Ukraine - Yagodyn-Dorohusk, Krakivets-Korchova, and Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne. As a result, long queues formed at the border.
The Polish protesters have put forward a number of conditions, some of which directly or indirectly contradict current EU legislation. For example, the blockers demanded the introduction of commercial permits for Ukrainian carriers, stricter transport rules in accordance with the European Conference of Ministers of Transport, and a reduction in transit quotas to the level that existed before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
On 13 November, Ukraine held talks with Polish protesters, but the parties failed to reach a compromise, and Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Serhiy Derkach called the demands "absurd", saying that Polish carriers should appeal to their government.
The strike by Polish truckers on the border with Ukraine threatens to spread to a group of farmers who plan to join the protest at the Medyka border crossing.
As The Gaze previously reported, the European Commission has threatened to initiate disciplinary proceedings if the Polish government does not resolve the blockade of the border with Ukraine.
According to EU law, the Polish government must ensure the free movement of Ukrainian trucks with goods at border crossings.
Representatives of the European Commission are spreading the opinion that the Polish government is not making sufficient efforts to resolve the problem and stop the protests of Polish carriers supported and financed by the ultra-radical anti-European party Confederation.
At the same time, Polish President Andrzej Duda emphasises the importance of supporting Ukraine to victory. He stated that the Polish government would continue this support.