Poland’s largest border crossing with Ukraine is blocked due to Polish government agricultural tax policies and the EU’s ongoing negotiations on a free trade agreement with Mercosur.
Polish farmers initiated a protest at Poland’s busiest border crossing with Ukraine on Saturday morning, halting traffic to voice their opposition to recent agricultural tax increases and the proposed EU-Mercosur trade deal.
Around 30 protestors, identifiable by their yellow vests and Polish flags, disrupted traffic by marching across a pedestrian crossing near the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint.
Initially scheduled from early October to the year’s end, the protest was initially prohibited by the Medyka mayor but was later permitted following a Polish court ruling against the ban.
According to organizers, only trucks are affected by the blockade; passenger cars, buses, and vehicles transporting humanitarian aid or military equipment are allowed passage. The Ukrainian border guard service, which released video footage, confirmed restrictions on vehicles exceeding 3.5 tons, permitting only one truck per hour to cross from Poland into Ukraine.
Ukrainian authorities anticipate the blockade will last at least 48 hours, possibly longer. Approximately 150 trucks are reportedly backed up on the Polish side. Polish police advise drivers of potential road delays.
Video footage from Ukrainian authorities displays numerous trucks stalled near the border crossing, with passenger vehicles in a separate queue, indicating partial border closure.
Farmers accuse the Warsaw government of breaking its pledge to maintain 2023 agricultural tax levels and criticize Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s administration for implementing other unfavorable regulations for the agricultural sector.
“Where can we appeal? To Mr. Tusk?” Roman Kondrow, head of a regional farmers’ association, questioned in an interview with Rzeczpospolita, highlighting the government’s unresponsiveness. “That’s why we chose to apply pressure at the border,” he explained.
Ukraine criticized the farmers’ actions. The Ukrainian Agriculture Ministry stated the protest doesn’t target Ukrainian goods, but instead uses the border to pressure the Polish government. Ukraine reportedly knew about the planned protest beforehand.
Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Vitaly Koval held discussions with his Polish counterpart, Czeslaw Siekierski, and also raised the matter with the EU Commission.
Some in Ukraine suspect Russian involvement. Gennady Radchenko, an expert with the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs, noted, “There’s a belief this is funded by Russia, as it benefits them.” He further commented, “We also don’t understand why farmers think Poland’s internal problems can be solved by blocking the border, trade, and access to a country at war. Ukrainian businesses and media reacted very negatively.”
Moscow hasn’t responded. This isn’t the first time Polish farmers blocked border crossings with Ukraine; similar protests occurred in the past due to concerns over the EU’s perceived allowance of unfairly cheap Ukrainian agricultural imports.