Lorries start crossing border after Polish farmers end blockade, Kyiv says

Polish farmers have lifted their blockage of one of Ukraine’s border crossings, and lorry traffic has been entirely restored, according to the Ukrainian border service on Sunday.

“Truck traffic has been restored: Polish farmers have ended the blockade in front of the Medyka – Shehyni crossing,” the service said on the Telegram messaging app.

According to the agency, the protest activity in front of the border crossing stopped around 9:30 a.m. Kyiv time (0730 GMT) on Sunday.

“Registration and crossing of trucks entering Ukraine is carried out as usual,” it added.

Polish farmers said on Saturday that they would halt their protest at the Ukrainian border crossing on Sunday, but trucks would continue to obstruct three other crossings during Christmas.

Since Nov. 6, drivers have been blocking various border crossings with Ukraine, demanding that the European Union reinstall a system in which Ukrainian enterprises require permits to operate in the EU, as well as European trucks trying to enter Ukraine.

Farmers later joined them in demanding government subsidies for maize and no tax increases.

Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, said on Thursday that Kiev aimed to negotiate an agreement with the incoming Polish administration to halt truck blockades at border crossings.

Ukrainian transport analysts have said that about 3,900 trucks were on the Polish side waiting for permission to enter Ukraine.

Poland’s newly appointed Prime Minister Donald Tusk said last week that the new government will try to quickly put an end to the truck drivers’ protest.