On 20 February, Poland expects a new wave of mass protests by farmers against Ukrainian imports, with road blockades taking place in about a hundred locations across Poland, including roads, border checkpoints, ports, railways, and transshipment stations. The Polish-based Institute of Agricultural Economics published a map of the areas where traffic will be hampered, according to the RFE/RL’s Ukrainian service.
Following the suspension of the blockade by Polish truckers, Poland’s farmers have taken over, blocking truck traffic in both directions at land crossings to Ukraine, a nation currently defending against Russian aggression.
“Blocking transport on the Polish border will have serious social and political consequences for both countries,” Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s Interior Minister, wrote on Facebook.
Tomasz Obszanski, head of the Polish Farmers Solidarity trade union, told RFE/RL that protesters’ demands center on calls to restrict imports of Ukrainian agricultural products entering Poland. He said in addition to roads, protesters will continue to block six checkpoints on the Polish-Ukrainian border, as well as ports and transshipment stations.
“[On 20 February,] mainly trucks will be blocked. One through per hour will be let, as it was before. As far as I know, private cars were blocked [on 18 February], I think, from 10:00 to 16:00. Buses will be allowed through. The border will continue to be blocked, much more protesters will come from all over Poland. It is possible to block the railroad tracks, I don’t know if it will be possible, but there is such an announcement. There are plans to block the transshipment terminal in Brody, as well as blockade of ports, several cities, highways and highway entrances,” he said.
