Ukraine Proposes Establishing Four New Border Crossings with Poland

During a joint briefing in Kyiv, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk discussed the possibility of opening four new border crossings between their countries. As part of the negotiations, the leaders expressed their intention to implement joint border control, exchange databases, and continue the modernization of existing border crossings, as reported by Ukrinform.

"Our government and our country remain committed to developing border infrastructure and logistics. We discussed the creation of four additional border crossings in addition to the existing 14," noted Denis Shmyhal during the talks.

Prime Minister Shmyhal also suggested that his Polish counterpart consider the prospect of Poland participating in the construction of the Krakovets - Lviv - Brody - Rivne highway. He emphasized that Polish entrepreneurs could join this initiative, and the Ukrainian government is open to collaboration with Polish businesses on concessional terms.

"This highway is intended to be an extension of the longest Polish motorway, the A4, which in turn is a continuation of the German autobahn. This could be another success story of mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries this year," explained Denis Shmyhal.

It's worth mentioning that the head of the Polish government, Donald Tusk, arrived in Ukraine for an official visit on Monday, January 22. The visit covers various topics, including the unlocking of the border with Ukraine. In late December, Tusk stated that he would bring a "serious proposal" from Kyiv regarding easing the situation for Polish carriers.

During Donald Tusk's visit to Kyiv, it was also revealed that Poland had joined the G7 declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine and appointed a representative for the country's recovery.

"We want to take a very active part not only in assisting Ukraine in its war with Russia but also in the reconstruction process," stated Donald Tusk. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the Polish Prime Minister for his stance and readiness to support Ukraine.

Zelensky described the negotiations with Tusk as "very effective," mentioning that discussions also covered financial support from Poland for the purchase of weapons for Ukraine and joint arms production.