Ukraine, Russia block transit of each other’s trucks

Public activists in western Ukraine began blocking the movements of trucks with Russian nameplates on February 12, according to various media reports. The Russian Ministry of Transport, in its Feb. 14 statement, described the actions as breaching inter-government agreement on freight transit. The ministry reported that about 100 Russian trucks are blocked in Ukraine and another 500 trucks cannot enter Ukraine from the EU side. At the same time, Russian officials let 1038 Ukrainian trucks in/out during Feb. 11-12. As a response to that, the ministry ordered the blocking of the transit of trucks with Ukrainian nameplates though Russian territory, according to its statement. The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers is going to find a solution to the situation at its extraordinary meeting on Feb. 15, according to the deputy economy minister.

The Russian government has complicated the transit of Ukrainian trucks though its territory since early January. Ukrainian government did not impose any limits on the movement of Russian trucks though its territory.

Alexander Paraschiy: The recent blockage of Russian trucks in Ukraine has become especially painful for Russia, given that since early February the Ukrainian route has become the only way for Russian trucks to move to and from the EU. The only alternative way, through Poland, has been blocked since February 1, as Russia and Poland failed to prolong their joint agreement on transit.

The mutual blockade of traffic by Ukraine and Russia, which is now entirely possible, will be more painful for Russia. At the very least, it will force the federal government to speed up the solution to transit permits with Poland. Ukraine could also suffer from a mutual traffic blockade with Russia, but it already has a viable alternative. In particular, Ukraine is now testing a railway and ferry route to Kazakhstan through Georgia and Azerbaijan, which bypasses Russian territory.