“We are facing an increasing number of provocations from the East. Therefore, during the night from Thursday to Friday, we will close the border with Belarus,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced ahead of a cabinet meeting. The decision applies to both road and rail crossings and is described as temporary. The crossings will only reopen once the government is certain there is no threat to national security or to citizens, according to the official statement.
Transport industry warns of disruption
For road hauliers, the move means not only interruptions to services but also a real risk of losing financial liquidity.
“We hope this will not last long,” said Jan Buczek, president of the Association of International Road Hauliers (ZMPD), in an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP). He warned:
“There will certainly be some who will not withstand this and may even decide to close their businesses. Those who survive will likely benefit from increased demand for their services.”
Buczek stressed that the closure of the border effectively halts the flow of goods between the EU and countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Armenia and Georgia.
“This will cause disruptions for hauliers and business owners, as well as a build-up of traffic that will be difficult to clear given the sluggish work of Belarusian customs services,” Buczek told PAP.
Rising costs, no revenues
Buczek reminded that “interruptions in transport services translate into a lack of revenues, while operating costs remain unchanged.” In practice, this means hauliers must continue to bear fixed expenses – wages, leasing fees and insurance – even while their trucks stand idle.
Compensation unlikely
Asked about the possibility of financial support, Buczek was sceptical:
“Road transport in the EU is not treated with the same special consideration as, for example, farmers. There may be isolated cases, but I doubt there will be sufficient funds to meet expectations.”
Although the transport sector emphasises the gravity of the situation, Buczek did not question the government’s decision itself:
“We understand this is not a whim. Such steps are certainly taken with careful thought, and we respect that.”
