On Tuesday, the border crossing between Slovakia and Ukraine was blocked by truckers, according to police and media reports. However, the Slovakian truck drivers’ union distanced itself from the blockade, claiming that it was only one truck driver who carried out the action. The union stated that it supports its Polish counterparts in their efforts to limit the number of Ukrainian trucks entering the EU.
The blockade caused disruptions for both countries as only a limited number of Ukrainian trucks were allowed to cross the border at midday. Slovak news agency TASR reported that Miloslav Tokar of Slovakia’s border police confirmed that a truck had been blocking traffic at the Visna Nemecka crossing. Union President Stanislav Skala told Reuters by phone that he would wait for talks between EU officials before officially joining any blockades organized by his Polish counterparts.
Ukraine’s customs announced on Telegram that “unknown persons blocked cargo traffic without any warning.” However, they also stated that Ukraine had not received any official information from Slovakia regarding the blockade. It was reported that Ukrainian authorities released 15 trucks an hour starting from 8 PM on Tuesday night.
The Ukrainian and Polish governments have been discussing border blockades since last week but have made no progress yet. According to reports, around 3,000 mostly Ukrainian trucks were stuck on the Polish side of the border due to restrictions imposed by Poland and Lithuania earlier this year. These restrictions aimed to prevent goods with potential military uses from reaching Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In conclusion, while Slovakia’s border crossing with Ukraine was temporarily blocked by a group of truckers, it is important for all parties involved to come together and negotiate a solution that is beneficial for all sides involved in this situation.