Ukrainian Border Blockade: Talks with Slovak Carriers Underway
Date: 2023-11-21 Author: Dima Zakharov Categories: ECONOMY
Negotiations in Progress
The Ukrainian side is currently in discussions with Slovak carriers who have been obstructing the movement of trucks at the "Vysne Nemecke" border point. Spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Andriy Demchenko, informed Ukrinform about the ongoing talks and their efforts to clarify the situation with their Slovak counterparts.
Planned Truck Allowances
According to initial reports, there are plans to allow several trucks to exit Slovakia and one to enter every hour amidst the blockade. Roughly 300 trucks were reported to be present on the Slovak side of the border toward Ukraine as of 3 PM local time. However, the passage of private vehicles and buses remains unaffected.
Blockade Initiatives
The disruption of freight transport heading towards this checkpoint began at 1:30 PM on Tuesday, November 21, according to reports from Ukrinform. Slovak carriers have been intentionally impeding the flow of cargo trucks through the "Vysne-Nemecke" crossing.
Recent Protests and Implications
This blockade echoes recent protests initiated by Polish carriers on November 6. Among their primary demands from the Ukrainian government was the reinstatement of permits for Ukrainian carriers, which had been revoked due to an agreement with the European Union until June 30, 2024. Despite negotiations at the governmental level, no tangible results have been achieved. The impact of these actions was evident as only 317 trucks entered and 47 exited at the "Yahodyn – Dorohusk" checkpoint over three days, a drastic decrease from the usual 1800 trucks in each direction.
Counteractions by Ukrainian Carriers
In response to the Polish blockade, Ukrainian carriers staged a demonstration at the "Krakovets – Korczowa" checkpoint. This served as a countermeasure against the obstruction caused by Polish protestors preventing truck crossings from Poland into Ukraine.
