As Polish farmers blockade the Ukrainian border, Polish companies operating in Ukraine are losing millions of US dollars, said Szymon Waszczyn, chairman of the International Association of Polish Businessmen in Ukraine, speaking at a press conference at the Ukrainian Crisis Press Centre.

„These are the direct losses that both šalian companies suffer as a result of their inability to deliver goods and fulfil contracts. I can't give specific figures, but they are in the range of deštake and štake millions of dollars“, – said Sz. Waszczyn.

Based on research by the European Business Association, Sz. Waszczyński mentioned that each of the 44 Polish companies surveyed in Ukraine had suffered an average loss of 700,000 USD as a result of the strike on the Ukrainian-Polish border. This amount includes both direct losses and penalties for non-performance of contracts, i.e. failure to deliver shipments. The construction sector was the most affected.

„We cannot rely on regular deliveries, which puts our relationships with our partners at risk. We need guarantees, but unfortunately the businessmen waiting on both sides of the border are not able to provide them at the moment," Sz. Waszczynas noted.

The International Association of Polish Entrepreneurs in Ukraine expressed hope that the border blockade will soon be lifted by 28 March 2024, and that this would have a positive impact on Ukraine's EU membership negotiations.

„We hope that next week's meeting between the Ukrainian and Polish agriculture ministers will also help resolve the differences between the two governments. I am sure that these actions are part of the preparations for the intergovernmental consultations that will eventually be held again in Warsaw on 208 March. Therefore, we must find a common solution to the ši problem by then and meet with the businessmen of both šalias“, – added Dariusz Górczyński, a member of the board of the International Association of Polish Businessmen in Ukraine.

Polish farmers have been staging protests at the border with Ukraine since 9 February 2024. The protesters are demanding that Poland bans the import of agricultural products from Ukraine and withdraws from the Green Europe Agreement. During the period, five incidents took place in which Ukrainian agricultural products were deliberately poured onto railway carriages and lorries.