Tusk announces his visit to Kyiv
Tusk said this on Wednesday during a press conference in Warsaw, answering the question of what specific steps the Polish government intends to take to resolve the problem at the border, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.
Tusk emphasized that he is preparing a visit to Kyiv, during which, among other issues, the problems of Polish carriers will be discussed.
"We will prepare this visit in such a way that during my meeting with President (Zelensky - ed.) it will be clear what we can achieve," Tusk emphasized.
The head of the Polish government expressed hope that on a technical level, he should bring a "serious proposal" from Kyiv to make life easier for Polish carriers. He will ask the carriers "not to block the border because of the war in Ukraine, because the situation is dramatic."
Tusk noted that the Ukrainian side has presented several proposals that would simplify the situation of Polish drivers, but in their opinion, these proposals are insufficient.
The head of the Polish government pointed out that the EU had canceled transportation restrictions for Ukraine out of a desire to help Ukrainians through a full-scale war. Tusk emphasized that this decision was supported by the previous Polish government and that he would have done the same in their shoes.
The Prime Minister of Poland called it unrealistic to return to the system of issuing permits for Ukraine for freight transportation in the foreseeable future.
"I do not think that anything can be radically changed at the European level by June, and I am speaking honestly about this. But operationally, a lot can be solved for Polish drivers in mutual understanding with Ukrainians," Tusk stated.
He also noted that the current Polish government is also very seriously concerned about the 'uncontrolled export' of Ukrainian agricultural products to the Polish market.
However, he emphasized that he sees no reason to spoil Polish-Ukrainian relations because of this. He emphasized that it is possible to maintain good relations between Warsaw and Kyiv while being persistent in solving agricultural problems in a way that does not cause Polish farmers to lose.
As reported, on November 6, Polish carriers began a blockade of truck traffic near the three largest checkpoints on the border with Ukraine: ‘Korczowa-Krakovets, Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska, and Dorohusk-Yahodyn’. They were later joined by farmers who began blocking the ‘Medyka-Shehyni’ checkpoint.
Among the main demands of the carriers is the return of the practice of permits for Ukrainian carriers, which was abolished by the agreement with the European Union until June 30, 2024.
On Sunday, December 24, Polish farmers suspended the blockade of traffic for trucks near the Medyka checkpoint until January 2-3. Meanwhile, Polish carriers refused to do so and continued to blockade the roads in front of the checkpoints in Dorohusk, Korczowa and Hrebenne.
