Truck chaos on Polish border to lead to fuel shortage for Ukraine

A queue of trucks at the Polish-Ukrainian border has reached 35 km amid protests by Polish truckers.

According to German portal Bild, Ukraine fears a possible fuel shortage.

More than 3,000 trucks are now stuck at four border crossings; waiting times are as long as three weeks.

This means that thousands of lorries with products intended for the EU are stuck in Ukraine. According to Bild, the biggest concerns are in the automotive industry. Automotive industry representatives say supply chains could suffer - "especially if the situation does not improve in time." The blockade of border crossings has affected the transport of almost all groups of goods, including fuel, which is vital during the fighting.

A representative of the Foreign Ministry told Bild: "Ukraine is ready for a constructive dialogue to find a solution to this situation. At the same time, it is important to stress that the termination of the agreement on the liberalization of freight transport between Ukraine and the EU is not a way out of the problem for us".

Polish drivers demand that the authorities return the restrictions on the work of Ukrainian drivers that were in place before the outbreak of hostilities. They explain this by the fact that the relaxations make their services unprofitable compared to the Ukrainian offer.

The blockade of checkpoints on the border with Ukraine started in early November. Two Ukrainian drivers have already died in the queue - truckers are forced to live for a long time in conditions of low temperatures and unsanitary conditions. After that, the Ukrainian embassy sent a note to the Polish Foreign Ministry demanding that the movement of trucks on the border be unblocked.