Polish farmers lift blockades at all Ukrainian border crossing points / Day

Farmers had been blocking border crossings with Ukraine since February, protesting what they say is unfair competition from imported Ukrainian goods.

The border blockade and grain dispute have strained relations between the neighbors, although Poland has shown strong support for Kyiv since Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine.

“Traffic through all border crossing points (with Ukraine) is possible,” Michal Derus, a representative of Poland’s Lublin regional tax administration chamber, told AFP after farmers broke the last blockade at the Hrebenna border crossing.

The Hrebenna checkpoint was reopened after local authorities refused to extend a permit for protests at the border checkpoint.

“All trucks are allowed to cross the border, unless they are carrying goods subject to sanctions,” Derus added, referring to grain imports from Ukraine, which Poland has temporarily embargoed.

Russia’s repeated invasion of Ukraine has crippled its agricultural sector. Many of Ukraine’s main export routes through the Black Sea have been blocked, and much of the agricultural land has become unusable due to the hostilities.

In an effort to help Kyiv economically, the European Union (EU) in 2022 canceled customs tariffs for Ukrainian goods transported by road through the 27-nation bloc.

But many Ukrainian grain products destined for countries outside the EU have accumulated in Poland and elsewhere, undercutting prices for local producers.