Zelensky: “The Prime Minister of Ukraine is at the border, it is unknown whether Polish colleagues will be there”
23 February 18:05
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyysaid that Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal would be at the Ukrainian-Polish border on Friday, but he did not know whether his Polish counterparts would arrive. He said this during a press conference in Lviv, according to citingEvropeiska Pravda.
“Whether Polish colleagues will be present is their personal decision. We cannot be there tomorrow because of the second anniversary of this struggle. I am not saying that someone offered us tomorrow – we said it openly, that we are ready to meet with proposals, decisions, steps. We will be ready to be at the border by 24 February. I do not know whether the Polish side will be there,”
– Zelensky said.
He also added that Ukrainian grain does not go to Polish markets anyway, but moves through Poland in transit.
On 21 February, President Zelenskyy proposed that the Polish authorities meet at the Ukrainian-Polish border. Prime Minister Tusk immediately refused, and the representative of Polish President Andrzej Duda made an ambiguous statement, which implied that the Polish side was supposedly ready for such an action.
Border blockade
Problems at the border began as early as 6 November 2023, when Polish transport companies began blocking truck traffic at three major checkpoints on the Ukrainian border: “Korczowa-Krakowiec, Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska, and Dorohusk-Yagodyn. One of the requirements was to reinstate the permits for Ukrainian carriers that had been cancelled under the agreement with the EU by 30 June 2024.
On6 January, truck traffic to the Medyka-Shehyni border crossingin Poland resumed. Three other border crossing points were opened on 17 January, namely Dorohusk – Yagodyn, Hrebenne – Rava-Ruska, and Korczowa – Krakivets.
on 9 February 2024, Polish farmers began a new nationwide strike and blockade of the border with Ukraine, which will last until 10 March. It was initiated by the independent farmers’ trade union Solidarity. The main demand of the protesters is to cancel the preferential trade regime with Ukraine and to return the permit system for importing goods into Poland.
The border blockade is currently ongoing, with Polish farmers blocking truck traffic at six checkpoints. According to the State Border Guard Service, there are more than 2,500 trucks in the queues.
Meanwhile, Poland has already imposed an embargo on Ukrainian grain, according to Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak.
Polish Minister of Development and Technology Krzysztof Hetman, in turn, said that Poland could impose an embargo on all Ukrainian agricultural products.
Ukrainians responded by blocking the border for Polish trucks.