Following the renewed protests by farmers on the border with Ukraine, the Polish authorities intend to classify border crossings as "critical infrastructure" to ensure the supply of humanitarian aid and weapons to the neighbouring country. This was announced on Thursday, 22 February, by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
"To provide a 100% guarantee that military aid, equipment, ammunition, humanitarian and medical assistance will reach the Ukrainian side without delay, we will add border crossings with Ukraine to the list of critical infrastructure facilities," Tusk was quoted as saying by AFP.
Assigning such a status to border crossings will lead to "a different type of organisational regime," Tusk said, without specifying whether farmers' protests at the border would still be allowed.
Tusk added that sections of roads and railway lines leading to Ukraine would also be considered "critical infrastructure".
Negotiations between the governments of Poland and Ukraine on the protests of Polish farmers at the border are scheduled for 28 March, and until then, the issue will be discussed at the ministerial level, Tusk said.
On 20 February, Polish farmers began blocking not only border crossings but also some national and regional roads. In particular, the farmers are opposed to tax increases, cuts in subsidies, and the European Commission's decision to lift the trade ban on Ukrainian grain in response to the Russian invasion.
The protesters also tightened the blockade at several checkpoints on the border with Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported. In particular, according to the agency, truck traffic was completely or partially blocked at the Dorohusk-Yagodyn, Medyka-Shehyni, Dovhobychuv-Uhryniv, Zosyn-Ustyluh, Korcheva-Krakovets, and Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska checkpoints.