borders closed?

Ukraine working on massive move of Poles and Baltics - start in "two to three days"

Created: 04/04/2022, 19:41

By: Aleksandra Fedorska

Ukraine has asked Poland and the Baltic countries to close borders with Belarus and Russia.

Meanwhile, there is no pan-European solution. 

WARSAW – Ukraine's ambassador to Poland Andrij Deszczyca has confirmed explosive news: "Ukraine is negotiating with the Polish government to close the border between Poland and Belarus," Deszczyca said.

Ukrinform and Interfax-Ukraina accordingly quoted the diplomat regarding the decisions of the European Union.

The border could be closed in the next two to three days, the Nexta medium reported on Monday (April 4).

"We are negotiating with the Polish Ministry of Infrastructure, with the Polish government, to completely close the border between Poland and Belarus - even if such a decision had not been made at the European Union level," Deszczyca had previously confirmed.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Infrastructure had already addressed a letter to the European Commission on March 25 with the request to completely block transport connections with Russia and Belarus in the Ukraine war*, according to Ukrinform.

Ukraine war: Poland and Baltic countries with border closures based on the Finnish model?

Ukraine is also said to have held talks about closing the borders with Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.

These countries have also been asked to close their eastern borders.

"I think that such a decision will be made, we don't have to wait for the decision of the European Union - we will completely block all deliveries to Russia*," Deszczyca stressed.

The transport of goods from the EU to Belarus and Russia has been one of the top issues in the Central and Eastern European region for weeks.

Because there are signs that Russia is trying to circumvent economic sanctions via these routes.

Several attempts at obfuscation have been reported by Polish, Belarusian and Ukrainian activists who regularly block the Polish-Belarusian border crossings for trucks, causing traffic jams of up to 50 kilometers.

According to this, trucks transporting goods eastbound would specifically indicate Belarus as the delivery destination, although in reality these goods should continue on to Russia.

Cases of deliberate deception by the activists have also been observed.

Truck drivers would pretend to transport humanitarian aid.

In addition, during the blockades, a petition was addressed to the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to immediately close the border crossings with Belarus and Russia.

However, the Polish government has emphasized that border controls are carried out very carefully.

The transported goods are checked and special scanners for containers are also used.

War in Ukraine: Border closure with Russia with far-reaching consequences for the movement of goods

A border closure in the escalated Ukraine conflict* would have far-reaching consequences for the movement of goods between the entire EU, Russia and Belarus.

The Polish government therefore pointed out as early as mid-March that this issue must be discussed and decided in the EU.

Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of Poland, speaks at a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Polish prime minister has called for the establishment of an international body to investigate what he has dubbed the Russian genocide in Ukraine.

© Marcin Obara/dpa

“If we want to deliver effective relief efforts to Ukraine*, then we must act together;

therefore, together in the European Union, we must decide to close the borders with Belarus for Russian trucks,” said the head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery Michał Dworczyk.

In this context, it is also important that the border closure includes not only Poland, but also the alternative border crossings between the EU area, Russia and Belarus.

Otherwise, the transport of goods would switch to border crossings that are not affected by the closure.

Other politicians share this opinion.

Former journalist Szymon Hołownia's opposition party suggests that Poland could legally follow Finland's example to implement the border closure.

The Scandinavian country has suspended rail traffic to Russia*.

This means that not only passenger traffic but also freight traffic by rail was stopped.

Ukraine war: Consequences for Germany if borders with Russia and Belarus are closed are unclear

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany was the main exporter to the East.

Of the total exports of the EU states to Belarus and Russia, which were transported via Poland, amounting to 66 billion euros, Germany's share was the highest at 19.4 billion euros.

However, other markets also offer good sales alternatives for German goods.

All economies in Central Eastern Europe are also major importers of German goods and services.

Poland* alone, Germany's fifth most important trading partner, imported German goods worth over 78 billion euros in 2021.

Thus, the export to the neighboring country was four times larger than the unsafe and, considering the war, immoral trade in goods with Russia and Belarus.