Poland may temporarily close border with Ukraine for trade in goods, PM Tusk says

According to him, this will be a "temporary and painful decision for both sides," as Poland sells more to Ukraine than it imports from there.

"I am ready to make difficult decisions in consultation with Kyiv so that there is no unnecessary tension. But we have to find a long-term solution," he stressed, adding that he would discuss with farmers the introduction of subsidies to help them sell Polish grain faster.

In addition, Tusk said that Poland will demand the return of the volumes of Ukrainian agricultural products that existed before the full-scale Russian invasion.

"The limits [on the export of Ukrainian goods] proposed by Brussels and Kyiv are unacceptable to us. Poland will propose in Brussels that the base period should not be 2022-2023, but the time before the [full-scale] war," Tusk said.

It should be noted that in its plan to de-block the Polish-Ukrainian border, Ukraine proposed to continue duty-free exports of poultry, eggs, and sugar to Poland within the 2022-2023 figures.

The Polish premier also announced an agricultural summit in Warsaw to be held on February 29 where he will meet with the leaders of the protesters.

Why are the Poles protesting?

Currently, the movement of Ukrainian trucks at the border is being blocked by Polish farmers. They are protesting to get the European Green Deal eased and to receive more subsidies, grants, and compensation.

The farmers are blocking traffic at six checkpoints: Yahodyn, Ustyluh, Uhryniv, Rava-Ruska, Shehyni, and Krakivets. As of the morning of February 28, more than 2,200 trucks were queuing in Poland.

Since the fall of 2023, Polish carriers have also been blocking traffic at the border. The reason for the strike is "excessive competition" after the adoption of the "transport visa-free regime" between Ukraine and the EU.

Due to the blockade, the Ukrainian economy has already suffered 1 billion euros in losses, and Poland's economic losses are even greater. In addition, three Ukrainian drivers have died in Poland.

The leader of the Lublin branch of the far-right Confederation party, Rafał Mekler, is actively involved in the protests and their coverage. At one of the rallies, a poster was seen calling on Putin to "sort out" the authorities of Ukraine and the European Union, as well as a Soviet flag with a hammer and sickle. Polish police opened a case over the incident. The Polish Foreign Ministry said that "anti-Ukrainian tirades praising Putin" could have been organized by pro-Russian agents or "useful idiots."