Poland has closed the movement of trucks with Belarusian and Russian license plates across the border. The checkpoint "Kozlovichi" was the only point on the Belarusian-Polish border where trucks could pass. Now, neither trucks, nor semi-trailers from Belarus and Russia will enter Poland. The ban came into force today.
The trucks registered in Belarus and Russia have been banned from entering the territory of the European Union since April 2022. However, previously the ban could be evaded by coupling the trailer with the cargo. Now, by the decision of the Polish side, these actions are prohibited. The price of such a decision may prove to be extremely high.
Lots of queues at the border of Belarus at the western border of Belarus have hardly surprised the drivers of heavy vehicles over the past year. The first serious difficulties were experienced a year ago in April. Then Western politicians prohibited transportation, including transit traffic, for Belarusian and Russian companies. They adapted: Belarusians began to travel to the EU with special passes, for example, pharmaceutical, medical and agricultural companies received them. However, could the drivers assume that the Polish side would go even further and stop letting Belarusian and Russian trucks through its border at all?
The price of such a decision could be very high: Poland has closed the movement of trucks with Russian and Belarusian plates across the border.
Previously, the ban on the movement of trucks from Belarus and Russia on the territory of the European Union was circumvented. It wasn't forbidden to hitch a loaded semi-trailer with Belarusian plates to a truck with the European registration and deliver goods to the western market. Just like a semi-trailer with the European registration plates could be attached to the head of the Belarusian lorry and pull it via Belarus, Russia and further. Now there is only one thing left: to transship the goods from one trailer to another at the transport and logistics center.
Meanwhile, the Belarusian side continues to perform its functions as before. According to some drivers, up to noon, Poland was still letting through trucks with Belarusian and Russian trailers, so some carriers have up to 3 days to hook up and go further. The rest are now being simply turned around by their western neighbors.
The police were restricting and asking everyone, "Which trailer do you have - Belarusian, Russian or Polish?" If it's Polish, go ahead, if it's Russian or Belarusian, they wouldn't let anyone in. If I wanted to bring the trailer back home, I was offered a service that I had to pay for. I heard about $2 thousand or euros to help.
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