Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine and Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, discussed the blocking of the Polish-Ukrainian border by Polish protesters with his Polish counterpart, Infrastructure Minister Andrzej Adamczyk.

In a statement of the Ministry of Restoration following the conversation, the department indicates that Ukraine respects the right to protest and is ready for a constructive dialogue to resolve the situation.

"At the same time, we note that the blocking of the border by Polish protesters violates logistical routes, which already affects both the economy of Ukraine and the European Union," the statement said.

Among other things, according to Ukrainian officials, more than 20,000 vehicles are blocked on both sides of the border between Ukraine and Poland, which damages not only their economies but also the economies of other countries that cannot transport goods and violate their contractual obligations because of this.

"The key thing is that no changes or cancellation of the Liberalisation Agreement are being discussed," the ministry emphasised, expressing its readiness to help Poland resolve the border situation, provide all relevant explanations and hold meetings if necessary.

On 6 November, dozens of Polish hauliers began blocking three border crossings with Ukraine in Hrebenne, Dorohusk and Korczowa. The key demand of Polish hauliers is to bring back the system of issuing permits for Ukrainian hauliers to work in the EU.

After the start of the full-scale war with Russia, the European Union took unprecedented steps to support the Ukrainian economy and cancelled the need for Ukrainians to obtain the above-mentioned permits for a year. And this summer, the EU extended this norm until June 2024.

Now, Polish carriers demand to cancel this privilege in principle and return to the old permit system. Another requirement is the tightening of transportation rules under the ECMT, a certificate of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport.

Read more – New Conflict Between Ukraine and Poland: Why Polish Truck Drivers Ready to Block Border