Polish farmers have initiated new protests at the Ukraine border. Discover what's happening in this unfolding situation (video).

On Saturday, November 23, Polish protesters once again began blocking the Medyka-Szeginy border crossing. According to preliminary information, the blockade is expected to last for 48 hours, although it may extend beyond that. Farmers will not allow trucks to enter Poland. A traffic jam has already formed at the border.

This was reported by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. According to border guards, the protests started around 10:00.

Farmers have announced that they will not allow vehicles exceeding 3.5 tons to enter Poland. For trucks exiting the country, only one vehicle will be permitted to pass per hour. Passenger cars and buses can cross the border without restrictions.

The Border Guard Service stated that there are currently no significant traffic jams for exiting Ukraine, but approximately 150 trucks are waiting to enter Ukraine. The protesters are located about a kilometer away from the Polish border crossing "Medyka".

What Polish Farmers Demand

According to radio RMF24, around 30 farmers are participating in the protest, walking through the pedestrian crossing with flags. The protesters have two main demands. The first is dissatisfaction with the government’s agricultural tax policy, particularly the demand to maintain the tax rate for 2024 at the same level as in 2023. The second is their opposition to signing a free trade agreement between the European Union and the MERCOSUR countries of South America.

Farmers fear that this agreement will negatively impact Polish agriculture, and they are demanding that the government prevent its signing. They also stated that if there are no positive changes, they will continue their protest uninterrupted until the end of the year.

Spokesman for the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, Bartosz Gubernat, stated that due to a lack of funds in the state budget, the bill to maintain the agricultural tax rate at the 2023 level was rejected. Meanwhile, farmers who have suffered significant losses due to natural disasters have the opportunity to receive assistance from the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture.

It is worth noting that Polish farmers periodically protest at the border. In addition to blocking passage, they have even damaged Ukrainian grain.