Ukraine and Poland say they are ready to try to resolve "problematic" issues in their relations, starting with a pledge to work to resolve a Polish truckers' blockade of several border crossings.
The Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure of Ukraine said on December 22 the deputy ministers of infrastructure of Poland and Ukraine met in Kyiv and agreed on joint positions for unblocking the border.
"The parties reached an understanding regarding compromise solutions and their implementation. The next stage is negotiations at the level of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Poland and the protesters," the ministry said.
Polish truckers since early November have blocked three border crossings on the Polish-Ukrainian border demanding the reintroduction of entry permits for their Ukrainian competitors heading into EU countries. The European Union waived the permits shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion to ease the cargo traffic in and out of the war-torn country.
Polish haulers are angry over a loss of business to competition from Ukrainian truckers, who have benefited from permit-free access to EU territory.
They want permits for Ukrainian truckers reinstated. Kyiv and the European Commission have said this is not negotiable. The Ukrainian Ministry of Development of Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure emphasized again on December 22 that the issue of changes to the agreement on permit-free entry was not being discussed.
Ukrainian authorities say they are suffering significant economic losses due to the actions of the Polish side, while Poland says it has its own economic interests.
The blockade has revealed a rift in relations with Poland, which has been one of Ukraine’s closest European Union allies in the war against Russia.
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Poland, however, now has a new pro-EU government under Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and Poland’s new foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, was in Kyiv on December 22 on his first official trip abroad since the new government took office.
Poland's deputy infrastructure minister, who accompanied Sikorski, said after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart that he hoped truckers' protests could be resolved before the end of the year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met with Sikorski and said he and the foreign minister discussed "significant opportunities for further collaboration -- work that will bolster both our nations." He said he hoped Kyiv and Warsaw could "open a new page" in their relations.
Zelenskiy said this included joint defense production. He acknowledged that "many things need to be resolved," but said he was "confident we can do it."
Sikorski said Western economies together were "20 times wealthier" than Russia's, but Moscow "has switched its economy to a war mode."
Western countries "cannot allow Russia to produce more on the basis of a much smaller economy," he said, adding that wars were not won by tactical battles but by production.