Outraged over the EU policy and costs that tip the scales in favor of Ukrainian truck transportation outfits, Poland’s farmers and truckers once again stand in solidarity at international crossings.
Farmers had taken a brief hiatus at Christmas in hopes of resolving wide-reaching Polish-EU disputes. Led by Roman Kondrów, meetings with newly appointed agricultural minister Czesław Siekierski fell short. The agricultural business owners and workers returned to help truckers ramp up pressure on Jan. 4. Recent reports indicate a 24-7 blockade at one location has more than 1,000 Ukrainian tractor-trailers, stretching 20 miles, stuck on the side of the road.
“This is a fight for our existence,” small Polish trucking company owner Leszek Stasiak reportedly said. “Ukrainian drivers, they drive around like they’re members of the EU — like us — and they take away our bread, they take away our work.”
The border standoff has been in place for two months and shows little sign of disbanding. Polish truckers and farmers continue to increase political and economic pressure by only allowing five trucks to cross into Poland per hour. Some days, they reduce the number to as few as two per hour. Meanwhile, the line of commercial motor vehicles waiting to be waved through grows on a daily basis.
“It’s punishing, just awful,” Oleksandr Nekrasov, a trucker from western Ukraine, reportedly said. “There is a war going on at home, and we are stuck here.”
Nekrasov’s wait time to cross the border was heading into its third week.
Some have claimed the blockade helps Russia’s war efforts by cutting off medical and battlefield supplies. The truckers at the border, however, have gone on the record indicating they prioritize products for Ukraine’s military and medical care needs, as well as humanitarian aid.
Few dispute the data that Ukraine saw its imports and exports plummet during November. Reduced truck transportation has reportedly impacted the freight sector to the tune of $700 million less than the previous month.
Polish truckers have a lawful permit to protest at border crossings. Their actions are being monitored by local law enforcement agencies. According to reports, the EU is not likely to restore truck quotas and permits while the Ukraine-Russia war rages. Although the blockades are likely to continue deep into spring, Ukrainian truckers have no intention of relenting. They are factoring in the cost of two-week wait times largely because they “need the money,” as one trucker said.
Sources:
https://www.ft.com/content/7887988a-e692-439e-821f-9c331448a761
https://www.rferl.org/a/polish-farmers-blockade-ukrainian-border/32760956.html
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