Ukraine could lose over $200 million if the border blockade led by Polish farmers is not lifted by the end of February, Danylo Hetmantsev, chairman of the parliamentary finance committee, said on Feb. 15.
Polish farmers launched a new blockade at the border with Ukraine in February, protesting the influx of cheap Ukrainian products to the EU.
Hetmantsev said in a Telegram post that the demonstration could pose signifcant losses to the national budget.
“If the border is not unblocked by the end of the month, the country’s budget will lose UAH 7.7 billion in revenues,” Hetmantsev said.
The amount comes to about $200.5 million, which Hetmanstev described as “very significant.”
Tensions continue to rise at the Ukraine-Poland border, with Ukrainian carriers staging a counter-protest at the Dorohusk-Yahodyn border crossing Feb. 15 in response to the ongoing blockade. Polish farmers have currently blocked six checkpoints and plan to launch a 30-day blockade of all border crossings starting Feb. 20.
Polish Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski said on Feb. 15 that officials from Ukraine and Poland are negotiating a bilateral agreement on agriculture trade that should be finalized by the end of March.
Siekierski earlier condemned the destruction of Ukrainian grain and apologized on behalf of Polish farmers after photos circulated on social media showing protestors spilling Ukrainian grain from trucks at the border.
Polish protesters first began blocking trucks at Ukrainian border crossings in November 2023. Hetmantsev said in December that the blockades caused a 40% decrease in Ukrainian exports, dealing “a powerful blow to Ukraine’s economy.”
Read also: Polish farmer blockade puts Polish-Ukrainian relations at further risk
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