Slovak truck drivers are threatening to block the main checkpoint at the border with Ukraine if the government doesn’t protect them from unfair competition

Slovak truck drivers are threatening to block the main checkpoint at the border with Ukraine if the government doesn’t protect them from unfair competition.

Reuters reported this development.

This threat emerged following the actions of Polish truckers who have been blocking several border crossings with Ukraine for three weeks, demanding stricter conditions for their Ukrainian counterparts. Polish and Slovak truckers complain that Ukrainians offer lower prices for their services and transport goods within the European Union, not just between the bloc and Ukraine.

As explained by the agency, following their Polish counterparts, Slovak truckers also voice concerns about Ukrainians offering lower prices for their services and transporting goods within the European Union, not just between the bloc and Ukraine.

The action in Slovakia will lead to the closure of the Vyšné Nemecké – Uzhhorod checkpoint, the only one open for heavy vehicles at the border.

Recall that Polish truck drivers began their protest on November 6, demanding that the European Union reintroduce a permit system for Ukrainian truckers entering the bloc and for EU truckers entering Ukraine, with exemptions for humanitarian aid and military supplies. The issuance of permits was canceled after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.

The head of UNAS, Stanislav Skala, warned that his group would wait for the Ministry of Transport’s response until Thursday before making a final decision.

On December 4, there will be a meeting of European transport ministers in Brussels, but the union leader isn’t very hopeful for any breakthrough.

“It seems that neither the Ukrainian side nor the European Commission are willing to step back,” he noted.