Ukraine has progress in lifting blockade on Polish border – PM

Ukraine's PM Denys Shmyhal says the talks between the Ukrainian and Polish sides in Warsaw showed progress in lifting the blockade on the border.

"Today I can say that we definitely have progress on lifting the blockade, but the main thing is to resolve all critical issues that lead to such blockades," Shmyhal said at a briefing on the results of Ukrainian–Polish government consultations on Thursday.

During the meeting, they discussed trade liberalization of Ukrainian producers to continue supplying their products to the EU without duties and tariffs and other issues:

• The issue of borders, as Ukraine still requires the Solidarity Road;
• Arms for Ukraine, particularly the creation of joint defense enterprises in Ukraine and Poland.
• Infrastructure development and reconstruction. Ukraine has submitted its proposals for, among other things, the construction of the Krakowiec-Lviv-Brody-Rivne highway;
• Energy as Poland is helping to stabilize the energy system by importing electricity to Ukraine;
• Ukraine's EU integration, as Poland will work with Ukraine to ensure that the first intergovernmental conference between the EU and Ukraine takes place in the first half of 2024.

The Ukrainian Prime Minister said that Kyiv and Warsaw are working to resolve the issue of agricultural products on the Polish market. Five steps are being taken in this direction.

Polish farmers continue to block checkpoints on the border with Ukraine by not letting trucks with Ukrainian agricultural products through.

As of March 27, Polish farmers continue to block three directions of the Yagodyn, Rava-Ruska, and Uhryniv checkpoints. Before that, 6 out of 9 checkpoints on the border with Ukraine were blocked.