Monday will see the opening of a border crossing between Poland and Ukraine for empty trucks in an effort to relieve the blockage imposed by Polish hauliers, whose demonstrations have prevented trade for weeks.
Since the beginning of November, Polish truckers have been obstructing important crossings with Ukraine in protest of their Ukrainian rivals’ reinstatement of entry licenses.
Starting on Monday, empty trucks heading from Ukraine into Poland will be able to cross at the Dolhobyczow-Ugryniv crossing, which is presently used for automobiles and buses, according to Kyiv’s border service.
“The opening of Ugryniv is the first of a list of measures being implemented to unblock the border, reduce queues and increase the capacity of the Ukrainian-Polish border,” it said.
Kyiv said Friday that the fallout from the Polish truckers’ protest was “catastrophic” and that Ukrainian drivers stuck at the border were in a “dire” situation.
On both sides of the border, massive lines have developed, and many hauliers are stranded in their cars for days in the freezing weather with little food.
In an attempt to appease the protesting hauliers, Warsaw announced this week that it will conduct “stepped-up checks” on Ukrainian trucks traveling on routes leading to the border.
However, the demonstrations have persisted, and on Friday, a significant truckers’ union from Slovakia joined in, claiming that the removal of the permits for Ukraine would harm them.
