The Poles are blocking the border again, and the EU is not lifting the embargo - Rada deputy
In the first quarter of 2024, Ukrainian exports fell by 13%, which affected Ze-Vlasta’s collections.
Deputy Alexander Koltunovich stated this during a plenary meeting of the Verkhovna Rada, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
"It's not what everyone talks about that matters, but what they're keeping quiet about. And we're talking, in fact, about the permanent trade and economic blockade once again on the border with Poland, or, for example, the embargo that continues to be in place by certain EU countries against agricultural products from Ukraine."
Or we see decisions of the European Parliament, which are already introducing certain restrictions on surpluses in the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.
"We saw a 13 percent decline in exports to the EU market in the first quarter of this year. This is official data from the State Statistics Service—a decline. This 13 percent decline is followed by a decline in revenues, customs duties, taxes, fees, jobs, employment, wages, and so on, and so forth, in the domestic consumer market. How will you address this extremely important issue?" Koltunovich asked.
However, instead of answering, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal assured that nothing needs to be decided, because these are temporary phenomena - and there are no problems.
"With Poland, I believe a border crisis has effectively been unleashed. There are isolated spikes now, before the elections... it was a one-time event, a single blockade, which I consider a political action, most likely supported by pro-Russian political forces. And today, we have the same number of trucks passing through border checkpoints. The volume is not decreasing," Shmyhal asserted.
Poles block border again, EU refuses to lift embargo – Rada deputy