Trucks Caught in Poland Border Spat Wait to Leave Lviv
More than 100 trucks left Ukraine for the European Union on Tuesday, December 5, after Kyiv and Warsaw finalized a deal to ease a months-long border blockade by Polish drivers.
Ukrainian border guards processed 110 empty trucks at the Uhryniv-Dolhobyczow crossing on Tuesday morning, the State Border Service said.
Customs officials from Ukraine and Poland met on Monday to resolve the issue at the border and will “ensure the proper functioning of the Uhryniv-Dolhobyczow crossing point,” one of multiple crossings between the two countries at the heart of protests by Polish truckers in recent weeks.
Registration of empty trucks wishing to leave Ukraine began on Monday, and the crossing has a capacity for around 100 trucks a day.
Rafal Mekler, head of Poland’s National Movement party, has been at the head of the protests, which demand that the European Union reinstate permits for Ukrainian truck drivers to enter Poland and the EU. An informal blockade at Ukraine’s border posts since November 6 has left long lines of trucks waiting for days on both sides of the border in tough winter conditions.
The Polish truckers argue that the removal of permits for Ukrainian drivers at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion undercut their prices and caused unfair competition for the whole transport industry.
A similar blockade by by Union of Motor Carriers of Slovakia ended on Monday with more than 600 vehicles waiting to enter Ukraine, the State Border Service said. Long lines have also been reported at the border checkpoint with Hungary where some trucks have diverted. Credit: Ukraine State Border Service via Storyful
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