Due to the blockade of Polish farmers, Ukraine has already lost about $500 million - Ambassador Zvarych

The Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, Vasyl Zvarych, urged Polish farmers not to succumb to propaganda and to unblock the border.

The Ukrainian diplomat wrote about this on Facebook, stressing that Ukraine has already lost 2 billion zlotys ($500 million) from the blockade.

"I appeal to Polish farmers to stop blocking the border with Ukraine, which is groundless and harmful to our friendly countries.

The truth is that Ukraine or its agri-food products are not the source of your problems. Ukraine does not affect world food prices. Prices are determined on world exchanges, where Russia plays an active role. It is Russia that pursues a dumping policy and uses the food market as a hybrid weapon for the purposes of aggression against Ukraine. It is Russia that is consistently trying to destabilize the world and European markets, weaken the economy of both Ukraine and European countries, and also create anti-Ukrainian sentiments in order to undermine Europe's solidarity with Ukraine.

Do not allow yourself to be further misled and be subjected to propaganda aimed at sowing seeds of hatred for everything Ukrainian in your community. Do not allow yourself to be used further to weaken Ukraine, which is fighting our common enemy.

Due to the ongoing blockade of the border, Ukraine is already seriously weakened, the Ukrainian economy has already lost approximately 2 billion zlotys as a result of the blockade. In the conditions of Russian aggression, this is a serious blow to the defence of my country, and therefore also a blow to the security of Poland.

But, what is very important for you, the Polish economy also loses because of the border blockade. The border blockade seriously hampers Poland's trade with Ukraine, which in 2023 amounted to approximately 13 billion euros, which is more than twice the volume of Ukrainian exports to Poland.

The problems of the Polish economy, related to the limitation of Polish exports to Ukraine, will also negatively affect the everyday lives of Poles.

Unjustified blocking of the border with Ukraine does not benefit either Poland and Polish farmers in particular, or Ukraine and its defence capabilities. The blockade of Ukraine in the conditions of Russian aggression is beneficial only to Russia, which is currently getting rich due to the increase in the export of agricultural and food products to the European market.

I believe in your wisdom, understanding and goodwill to end the blockade of the border with Ukraine as soon as possible," the Ukrainian ambassador addressed the farmers blocking the border with Ukraine.

At the border with Poland, due to farmers' protests, the line of trucks stretched for almost 17 km

Trucks leaving Poland through the Polish-Ukrainian checkpoint in Dorohusk have been waiting for border control for more than 2 weeks. A protest by representatives of the agricultural industry continues in front of the terminal, they allow only single vehicles through.

This is reported by Polish Radio.

A representative from the City Police Commandant's Office in Kholm said about the situation in Dorohusk: "The length of the queue is approximately 17 kilometres to the village of Serebrishche. Approximately 650 vehicles are expected. The waiting time for customs inspection is approximately 371 hours. Protesters do not let ordinary trucks out of the queue. However, cars with humanitarian and military aid, live animals and medicines pass through without interruption."

Protests continue in front of other border crossings in the Lublin Voivodeship. In Hrebenne, the waiting time takes 80 hours. In the morning of Monday, March 4, there were 450 trucks in a 15-kilometre line to the village of Belzec.

At the same time, the Consul General of Ukraine in Lublin, Oleg Kuts, who on Monday visited drivers at the Dorohusk-Yahodyn checkpoint, noted that Ukrainian drivers, who are forced to stand in long queues due to the blockade of the border in Poland, demonstrate a high level of self-organization and mutual assistance and show extraordinary endurance and poise.

Earlier, Ukrainian MP and First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported that in February Ukraine lost 8 billion hryvnias (approx. 209 million US dollars) due to the blockade of Ukrainian products on the Polish borders.

"We currently finance the entire army through taxes and customs payments. This is money that we can use for military needs.

Why this is important, I repeat once again, because we cannot cover this money even at the expense of international aid. We cannot close at the expense of any other loans. This is the money that was taken not just from the state budget, it is money that was taken directly from the army. And, unfortunately, we will have to somehow find a balance in the system," he said last week.

IC UAC according to the Facebook page of the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland Vasyl Zvarych, Polish Radio and Ukrinform