Situation on Ukraine's border unacceptable: European Commissioner warns Poland of "consequences"

The situation on the border between Poland and Ukraine is absolutely unacceptable and requires the active intervention of the Polish authorities, who are responsible for maintaining order and legality at the border.

This was announced in Brussels during a press conference on the presentation of the EU passenger mobility package, said European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The video of the press conference was published on the EU multimedia portal.

The European Commissioner stated that she considers the situation on the Polish-Ukrainian border to be absolutely unacceptable. She said that the European Commission (EC) was involved in this process from the beginning and tried to have a discussion with all parties involved. According to her, there is currently no goodwill in finding a solution. At the same time, there is almost no involvement of the Polish authorities.

She noted that she supports the right of people to protest, but at the same time, Ukraine, which is at war, cannot be turned into a hostage as a result of blocking its external borders.

The EC is still in constant discussions, and there is a list of technical measures that can be taken. At the same time, they must be provided and implemented by the Polish side. The EC continues the dialogue, but reserves the right to intervene, even to take legal action against those who do not respect the rules and do not comply with the law, the EC representative added.

As Ukrinform reported, Polish carriers began an indefinite protest on November 6. Among the main demands to the Ukrainian government is the return of the practice of permits for Ukrainian carriers, which was abolished by the agreement with the EU until June 30, 2024. On November 23, Polish farmers joined the action. As a result, huge queues of trucks, numbering more than two and a half thousand vehicles, formed on the border with Poland, with drivers in extremely difficult circumstances. So far, at least two people have reportedly died in this queue.

The leader of the Civic Platform, Donald Tusk, accused the Polish government of inaction in the situation with the blocking of border crossings.