Ukraine Lost Over a Billion Euros Due to Blocking of Border by Polish Carriers

Blocking the border by Polish carriers harmed not only the economy of Ukraine, but also caused significant losses to the economy of Poland itself.

"If we speak globally, the economy of Ukraine has lost more than one billion euros,” Vice-President of the Association of International Motor Carriers Volodymyr Balin told Ukrinform.

“The Polish economy lost even more. I think that today, with such risks, we are losing our strategic partnership due to the fact that today our exporters cannot conclude agreements with their customers, in particular, in the European Union. And they, in turn, due to logistical difficulties, are looking for similar goods in other countries, in particular in Poland,” Balin said.

Polish hauliers on Monday, Dec. 18, resumed their blockade of the largest freight border crossing with Ukraine following a court order that allowed the truckers to go back to the Dorohusk checkpoint.

The truckers have been blocking the border for over a month to demand the reintroduction of permits to enter the European Union for their Ukrainian competitors.

The bloc had waived the permits system after Russia invaded Ukraine, but the Polish road carriers – at least one of them, Rafał Mekler, a far-right politician associated with a pro-Russian political alliance – say the move took a toll on their earnings.

Last week the local authorities in Dorohusk withdrew permission for protests at the border crossing, but the decision was later overturned by the court.

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On Monday, the police confirmed that the truckers were once again blocking cargo traffic.