To the relief of Ukrainians, farmers decided in the morning to lift the blockade of the Rava-Ruska border crossing, the last one still blocked. Border traffic started immediately. Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky immediately thanked the Polish government for their help in ending the protests, which have strained relations between the two countries.
The end of the protest at the Rava-Ruska border post followed consultations between farmers’ representatives and Polish Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski. The ministry announced on Sunday that the farmers would suspend the action at the border post. It is not yet clear whether the blockages have now been definitively removed.
About the author
Steven Ramdharie is foreign editor of de Volkskrant with defense as its main specialism.
A local farmer leader warned that the blockades could resume in the coming months. Farmer organizations have also announced that they will continue with a major protest in the capital Warsaw on May 10. They are angry about the large influx of grain and other agricultural products via Poland.
Relaxation of rules
Since last year there has been unrest at the border crossings between the countries. First, Polish truck drivers took action. Many border crossings were blocked in a short time in November because drivers and their employers claimed to be missing out on many orders. Ukrainian drivers no longer need permits to enter the EU due to the war.
The decision to relax European rules was made because the invasion had made Ukraine much more dependent on road and rail traffic, including for the export of grain. As a result, freight traffic with Poland doubled in a short time. An estimated 50 thousand trucks crossed the Polish border every month.
This angered Polish drivers who demanded the reinstatement of the permits because much of that freight traffic would only pass through and freight would be transported by Ukrainian transport companies. Later, Polish farmers joined the protests.
Intervene
In February, farmers also started blocking border crossings because they say they are inconvenienced by Ukrainian grain exports. Contrary to agreements, some of that grain ends up on the Polish market, resulting in unforeseen price drops. The Polish government therefore decided this month to compensate the farmers by compensating them to the tune of around 485 million euros.
The end of the blockades does not mean that Ukrainian grain can now enter Poland. Ukrainian border authorities said on Monday that trucks carrying grain were only allowed to enter Poland if they were in transit to other countries. The blockades led to tensions with Warsaw, which came to Ukraine’s aid from the start of the Russian invasion. Poland opened the border to Ukrainian refugees and also supported Kyiv with military aid.
The two countries had been in talks for months to end the protests at the border. But negotiations were difficult until the Polish announcement on Sunday of the suspension of the actions. The Ukrainian government even called on the EU to intervene to ensure that exports were no longer blocked.
