Kyiv is calling on Warsaw to take active steps and engage in negotiations with Polish hauliers who recently blocked freight traffic near the Dorohusk-Yahodyn border crossing.
Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Bodnar, said this in comments to an Ukrinform correspondent.
The ambassador noted that the Polish protest aims to defend the rights of local transporters and to push back against competition from the Ukrainian side. However, from Ukraine’s perspective, it is seen as “a form of pressure.” He said that Kyiv is constructive and ready for dialogue with Poland on this issue, “as it affects Ukraine’s interests and is seen as an unfriendly move toward the Ukrainian side.”
Bodnar stressed that Ukraine is calling on the Polish government to take “active steps in communicating with the protesters” and to hold appropriate talks with the Ukrainian side in order to resolve the issue.
“We are ready to initiate various types of negotiations and consultations, but we believe that the Polish government should take direct action to engage with the protesters, because although the demands involve Polish-Ukrainian relations, they are directed at the Polish government,” Bodnar said.
He added that Ukraine has sent an official note to Poland and that he has held discussions with Polish government officials.
“Everyone is aware of the issue. Right now, the focus is on finding ways to prevent or minimize the impact of the protest,” the ambassador said.
He also stressed that in the context of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war, this protest “is certainly not aimed at supporting Ukraine or strengthening Ukrainian-Polish relations.”
“This fits perfectly into Russia’s traditional narrative of seeking to drive wedges between our peoples. Those behind this protest are clearly serving the interests of the aggressor state,” Bodnar said.
He also noted that the timing of the protest — during the final stage of Poland’s presidential election campaign — “serves certain political goals.” However, he stressed, elections are Poland’s internal affair, and Ukraine has no involvement in them.
“We hope that any actions aimed at domestic audiences will not negatively affect our bilateral relations,” Bodnar said.
In this context, he said that the border protest is being led by known figures from the nationalist “Confederation” party, including Rafal Mekler, who heads the Committee for the Protection of Transport Operators and Employers.
According to the Ukrainian diplomat, if the Polish government fails to take steps to mitigate or counter the protest, it could “expand to other border crossings, as was the case previously.”
Freight traffic through the Yahodyn-Dorohusk crossing has been blocked since May 12 due to a protest on the Polish side. The main demands of the protesters are to draw attention to issues in Poland’s transport sector and to reinstate a permit system for Ukrainian hauliers entering Poland.
The protest has already caused a backlog of trucks at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk crossing, as Polish protesters continue to block movement.
Source: Ukraine urges Polish government to hold talks with protesters to unblock border – ambassador
