/ world today news/ The total losses for Ukraine from the Polish blockade may exceed one billion euros
The Verkhovna Rada asks the Polish Sejm to remember the friendship of peoples, the mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovoy calls on the neighbors to return to reality, Zelensky hopes for the prudence of Warsaw. Why did the blockade of four border crossings by Polish truck drivers so alarm the authorities in Kyiv?
People die
The protesters have promised not to interfere with the transport of humanitarian and military cargo, but Kiev reports that fuel, drones, thermal imaging cameras and medicine are being held up at the border. Direct losses exceed 400 million euros, says Vladimir Balin, deputy chairman of the Association of International Car Carriers of Ukraine.
Over 2,000 heavy-duty trucks have been blocked on the Polish side, and at least 800 on the Ukrainian side. Two drivers have already died in the queue. The situation is difficult and nervous.
But the protesters are supported in the EU. Polish farmers joined the action. According to Bloomberg, members of the International Road Transport Union, an industry group from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Lithuania, have written to the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, asking her to review the agreement with Kiev on transport liberalization. The contract expires in June 2024.
The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine developed an evacuation procedure. To benefit from state aid, they only need to fill out a special form. True, the truck will have to be abandoned.
Warsaw is silent
The Verkhovna Rada turned to the Polish Parliament. The MPs expressed hope for the continuation of fruitful cooperation and lifting of the blockade. “Blocking the movement of goods across the border will inevitably lead to the deterioration of the already complex socio-economic situation in Ukraine and will complicate the possibilities of restoring the economy of our country,” the authors of the document emphasize.
Zelensky linked the border situation to “some political steps” by Warsaw. But there is no need to rush into decision-making. “I think we should give our neighbors some time. Everything will get warmer,” he said.
But the mayor of Lviv Andrey Sadovoi does not want to wait. “Our Polish friends must return to reality. All your gigantic contribution to the victory of Ukraine is erased by a group of fringes blocking humanitarian supplies to a country that is defending its independence and the security of Europe for the second year. Does Poland have the courage, the political will and the civilian tools to end this shameful blockade of Ukraine?” he said.
Of course, they also found a “Russian trace”. The fact is that the blockade was organized by some “Commission for the Protection of Carriers and Employers in the Transportation Industry” that no one had heard of until September. It includes several Polish companies. One of them is headed by Rafal Meckler, head of the Lublin center of the “Confederation”, a far-right party distinguished by radical anti-Ukrainian rhetoric and sympathies for Moscow. In Parliament only the Confederates supported the blockade.
The president of the Transport and Logistics Association of Poland, Maciej Wronski, takes a balanced position. “We understand the protesters. We know the problem exists, it cannot be swept under the carpet. Another thing is the time and form of the protest. That can be discussed,” he said.
The border is firmly locked
The Poles have very specific demands that Kiev will not even consider seriously. At the very least, they want Ukrainian carriers to be deprived of benefits for the transit of goods through the EU, and for Europeans to be put in special queues at the border.
Ukrainian political scientist Alexei Yakubin recalled in an interview that Kiev’s relations with the West are asymmetrical. “We are partners, not allies. The countries of the European Union and NATO cooperate with us as long as it is profitable for them. In particular, for this reason, no one will give guarantees, especially in the field of security “It was like that before , but now it is particularly noticeable. Poland’s behavior cannot be called allied,” he explained.
Kyiv political analyst Dmitry Spivak noted that indirect losses from the blockade reached a billion euros. “Even if the road is opened immediately, the money cannot be returned. At the same time, Great Britain promised to give only 400 million to solve the problem of paying pensions,” the expert gave a clear example.
Denis Denisov, an expert from the Finance University of the Russian government, believes that Kiev has paid for its own greed. “The European Union actually put Ukrainian truck drivers on an equal footing with European ones. And they started to undercut prices to capture the market. Naturally, the Poles, who are considered the main carriers in the EU, did not like that,” he said.
According to him, the issue will have to be resolved at the level of the European Commission. But it will take a long time and Kiev will suffer heavy losses.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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