Charities and companies supplying aid to war-torn Ukraine are searching for any sign of hope as tensions mount over a monthlong blockade at the Polish border, with one aid coordinator warning that the situation will give Russia "the ability to kill Ukrainian soldiers and terrorize civilians for several weeks longer."
According to the Associated Press on Saturday, pickup trucks and tourniquets bound for Ukraine's battlefield are among items stuck in a miles-long line at the border with Poland. Components to build drones to fight Russian forces are also facing weeks of delays as Polish truck drivers have blocked the border in freezing temperatures.
Russian President Vladimir Putin initially hoped for a quick victory in his "special military operation" that he launched on Ukraine in February 2022, but its stronger-than-anticipated defense effort, which has been bolstered by billions of dollars in aid from its allies like Poland, has prevented Russian forces from achieving their goals.
The Polish protesters say their livelihoods are at stake after the European Union (EU) recently relaxed transport rules and claim that Ukrainian truckers have undercut their business.
Two humanitarian organizations, the KOLO foundation, which helps the Ukrainian army with battlefield technology, and Come Back Alive, Ukraine's largest charitable organization providing the military with equipment, say the Polish blockade is detrimental to their efforts and puts the war effort against Russia in even more jeopardy.
While drones are poised to reach the frontlines of Ukraine, they're delayed by two to three weeks, Oleksandr Zadorozhnyi, operational director of the KOLO foundation, told the AP.
The KOLO foundation says 200 pickup trucks needed to transport ammunition and evacuate the wounded are blocked at the Polish border. "This means that the Russian army will have the ability to kill Ukrainian soldiers and terrorize civilians for several weeks longer," Zadorozhnyi said.
Newsweek has reached out to the KOLO foundation and Come Back Alive for additional comment.
While there is no clear resolution in sight, a change of leadership in Warsaw provides some optimism. Donald Tusk, the leader of Poland's opposition Civic Platform party and likely the next prime minister, wants to address the blockade. He is expected to be in place next.
"We will look for solutions that should satisfy Polish transporters, but we will not tolerate any events that threaten Polish security. Who inspired or initiated them?" Tusk said Friday, stressing that Ukraine is a strategic point for Poland.
The key demand of Polish protesters is to bring back the system of issuing permits for Ukrainian carriers to work in the EU.
"We do not see any light in the tunnel, we do not see any authorities, any government or the EU Commission really giving attention to this," Dariusz Matulewicz, head of the truckers' association in Szczecin, a city in western Poland, told the AP.
In addition to the blockade's hindrance on the ongoing war and humanitarian effort, Ukraine's economy has also taken a big hit, the AP reported.
Ukrainian exports have dropped by 40 percent through the four blocked border crossings, and the state budget has lost some 9.3 billion hryvnias ($254 million) due to the shortfall in customs payments, according to Ukraine.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Gabe Whisnant is Deputy Weekend Editor at Newsweek based in South Carolina. Prior to joining Newsweek in 2023, he directed ... Read more
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