Polish farmers threaten to completely block border with Ukraine for month

Polish farmers announced a nationwide strike, during which they want to block all border checkpoints with Ukraine. The rally was scheduled for February 9, and it will last a month.

The Polish trade union of farmers Solidarity has stated this.

Polish farmers were outraged by the decision of the European Commission on January 31, which proposes to abolish duties for Ukrainian goods for another year.

The agrarians said that they "lost patience" and that they were "left with no choice but to call a general strike."

"We ask our fellow countrymen to understand and realize the situation in which we all find ourselves. We are fighting for our common good, which is to protect Polish family farms, often farms of several generations, from collapse and bankruptcy," the farm union urged.

The strike is scheduled to run from February 9 to May 10, 2024.

Polish farmers urge not to go through blocked border crossings and to behave peacefully.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Poland intends to appeal to the European Commission with a demand to return the permission system for Ukrainian drivers.

From 09:00 a.m. on January 4, Polish farmers from the Oszukana Wies [Deceived Village] organization renewed the blockade of the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint on the border with Ukraine. On December 24, they announced that they would suspend their protest action until the beginning of January, and if their demands are met, they may not resume it. At the end of December, the governments of Ukraine and Poland agreed on an action plan for unblocking the border.