Poland’s truck drivers would suspend their blockade of the Ukrainian border after an agreement with the government, authorities announced on January 16, according to Euractiv.
The suspension will be in effect from Wednesday until March, but the hauliers have warned that they will return to the border if their demands are not satisfied. Earlier, Kyiv claimed that the consequences of the protest were “catastrophic,” with the Ukrainian drivers stuck at the border in “dire” conditions.
Polish Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak stated:
The protest will be suspended until 1 March. We have an agreement. An agreement that was long-awaited not just by Polish hauliers, but also by many entrepreneurs in Poland, by the European Commission, by Ukraine.
Polish truckers have been blocking the border since November, demanding the restoration of EU entry restrictions for their Ukrainian competitors. The hauliers claim that the EU’s withdrawal of the permit system after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine has affected their income. The co-organiser of the protest, Rafal Mekler, confirmed that he agreed to suspend the border protest.
“The government is undertaking several commitments within the specific timeframe that are intended to fulfil the protest demands. If we don’t manage to reach a solution, we will return to the border… This is not capitulation but a strategic pause.”
The agreement implies the start of negotiations with the European Commission to ensure financial support for Polish carriers. Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov confirmed that border crossings had been reopened, stating that Kyiv was ready for a “substantive dialogue” with Polish authorities.
Trucking representatives from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovakia sent a joint statement to their transport ministers and the European Commission. They called for the reinstatement of EU entry permits for Ukrainian trucks, arguing that the transport agreement with Ukraine “harms the competitiveness of EU road transport operators.”
Hereby we ask and urge all decision makers involved to consider termination or significant changes to the current EU-Ukraine arrangement.
Poland’s new Prime Minister Donald Tusk promised last month to resolve the conflict, accusing the previous government of abandoning protesting hauliers.
However, Klimczak claimed that the agreement reached on Tuesday “is not the end of dialogue. On the contrary, it paves the way for intensive talks which should lead to solutions.”
