Ukraine is in talks with Poland and Slovakia to move customs checks on grain trucks from the Ukrainian border to further into the European Union. The aim is to prevent trucks from being stuck in long queues in areas that have been attacked by Russian drones in recent weeks, the Financial Times reports.
The trucks are carrying Ukrainian agricultural exports. According to the FT, convoys of trucks have regularly been targeted near border crossings with EU countries. Moving the checks would allow some of the procedures to be carried out at a more protected distance from the Ukrainian border.
Kyiv wants to expand the model with Moldova
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry points out that joint border checkpoints with Moldova have already been established. Kiev wants a similar scheme to be expanded to other neighboring countries, with Poland identified as one of the main priorities.
“The new security conditions, in which Russia is deliberately trying to strike at our borders, disrupt logistics, transport and cargo movement across the border, necessitate this decision“, said Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tykhy.
According to him, Kiev wants to reach an agreement with Poland as soon as possible. However, no final agreement has been announced with either Poland or Slovakia to move customs controls.
More cargo is being routed through the EU
Ukraine is increasingly relying on road, river and rail transport through the European Union after Russian drone strikes effectively closed the long-standing sea route across the Black Sea, the Financial Times notes.
This increases the importance of land border crossings for Ukrainian exports, but at the same time concentrates more trucks close to the border. It is these queues that are among the targets of the discussed change, which should reduce the time trucks remain vulnerable in one place.
Sources: focus-news.net