Polish farmers known as off their protest on the final border crossing with Ukraine on Monday, lifting a blockade that has dragged on for months, soured bilateral relations and buffeted Ukraine’s commerce.
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Polish truckers, later joined by farmers, have blocked border crossings with Ukraine since late autumn final yr amid issues over unfair competitors and low-cost grain.
They have cited authorities inaction over a lack of enterprise to international rivals since Russia’s conflict on Ukraine, with truckers from Ukraine exempt from in search of permits to cross the Polish border.
Ukraine’s border guard spokesman mentioned Polish farmers had ended the blockade on the Rava-Ruska crossing on Monday morning.
“Fortunately, we have all directions on the border with Poland unblocked,” mentioned Andriy Demchenko, the border official, including that vans have been crossing in each instructions.
Polish border guard spokesman Andrzej Juzwiak instructed Reuters that every one the crossings have been working “without hindrance”.
The Polish farm ministry mentioned late on Sunday that farmers had introduced a suspension following talks with Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski.
Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky hailed “constructive work” by Poland, saying negotiations with Warsaw and trade associations had not been simple however that “the main thing is that we have a result”.
Warsaw protest to go forward
It was not clear if the suspension would maintain.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Zvarych mentioned he believed the blockades have been “a thing of the past”.
But Polish information company PAP cited Roman Kondrow, the chief of Podkarpacka Oszukana Wies, an area farmers’ organisation within the area bordering Ukraine, as saying that protests may very well be resumed if needed.
Adrian Wawrzyniak, a spokesperson for the Solidarity farmers’ union, instructed Reuters the farmers have been persevering with talks with the federal government and nonetheless deliberate a protest in Warsaw on May 10.
Trucks from Ukraine transporting grain merchandise, the central situation that has angered Polish protesters, will nonetheless face some restrictions, the Ukrainian Border Service mentioned.
“At the same time, trucks transporting grain crops will not be allowed to enter Poland. This type of cargo can only travel through Poland in transit mode,” the service mentioned.
In an try to deal with the protesters’ calls for, Poland determined earlier this month to pay 2.1 billion zlotys ($520.45 million) in subsidies to farmers to compensate them for low grain costs.
The protests drew sharp criticism from Ukrainian determination makers because the tensions on the border escalated within the winter.
Warsaw and Kyiv have been engaged in talks at totally different ranges to attempt to discover a resolution, with Ukraine calling upon the European Union to intervene. Kyiv mentioned its agricultural exports by japanese Europe haven’t broken EU markets.
In March, Ukraine and Poland hailed progress on agricultural import talks however the deal remained elusive because the international locations tried to shut the hole between their positions on financial and safety pursuits.
(Reuters)
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240429-polish-farmers-lift-months-long-blockade-of-ukraine-border