Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to meet at the border between Ukraine and Poland by February 24 to address the ongoing transport blockade. The invitation was shared through Zelensky’s Telegram channel, where he outlined the urgency of resolving the disruption that has affected cross-border trade and movement.
During the message, Zelensky stated that he had directed senior officials in the Ukrainian government to proceed to the border and engage in constructive dialogue. In addition to appealing to Tusk, he urged Polish President Andrzej Duda to back the talks and help facilitate a practical, at-the-border discussion that could ease the standstill affecting both sides of the frontier.
“This is a matter of national security, and there can be no delay,” Zelensky said. He emphasized that the coming days present an opportunity to arrive at a workable arrangement and expressed his willingness to join the border meeting alongside Ukraine’s government if necessary to accelerate progress.
Earlier, Eliza Dzvonkiewicz, the Polish Consul General in Lviv, commented on the situation, expressing mixed feelings about the protests at the Ukrainian border. While she did not condemn the protesters’ aims, she criticized the method employed by some participants, indicating that the form of the demonstration had overshadowed the message downstream from the border crisis.
The protests by Polish farmers have persisted, with hundreds of tractors blocking roads from Ukraine toward Warsaw since late January. The confrontation intensified after farmers targeted Ukrainian cargo trucks carrying grain and later disrupted rail transport by derailing or blocking two rail wagons loaded with corn on nearby tracks. The scene at the frontier has been tense, reflecting broader strains in border logistics and regional supply chains.
One protest banner carried by a demonstrator on a tractor publicly appealed to President Vladimir Putin, urging him to “restore order with Ukraine, Brussels, and our authorities,” a provocative line that highlighted the fevered emotions fueling the blockade and the complexity of cross-border diplomacy in the region.
Polish officials had previously issued an ultimatum to Ukraine regarding the border situation, signaling the seriousness with which Warsaw views the disruption and its impact on trade links and bilateral relations. The evolving situation has drawn international attention, with news outlets and regional governments watching closely for signs of a de-escalation plan and a return to normal traffic and supply flows along the corridor linking Ukraine with Poland and, by extension, the European Union.
Experts note that the border talks, if successfully convened and conducted, could set a precedent for how similar cross-border blockades are handled in the future, balancing protest rights with the need to maintain critical supply chains. The discussions are likely to involve negotiators from multiple Ukrainian ministries, the Polish side, and possibly representatives from the European Union, seeking a pragmatic framework that addresses the concerns of farmers while ensuring the uninterrupted movement of goods and people across the frontier. In Kyiv and Warsaw, analysts expect a focus on guarantees for safe passage, predictable customs procedures, and clear timelines for any changes to border operations, all conveyed in a transparent, accountable manner. The stakes are high: the blockade not only disrupts commerce but also tests trust between neighboring countries that have built up shared economic and security interests over decades. As events unfold, stakeholders on both sides will be paying close attention to rhetoric, visible actions at the border, and the readiness of leaders to back concrete steps that can restore normalcy without compromising national security or regional stability. The coming days are seen as a critical window for diplomacy, with all parties seeking a path forward that satisfies domestic constituencies while maintaining cooperative regional ties. Attribution: regional news agencies and official statements from Kyiv and Warsaw (as reported in contemporary coverage and official releases).