Romanian farmers block the truck passage at Ukrainian border
Category
Economics
Publication date

Romanian farmers block the truck passage at Ukrainian border

State Border Service of Ukraine
Siret border checkpoint

Around 12:00 on January 15, farmers renewed the blocking of truck traffic in the direction of the "Siret" checkpoint, which is located opposite the Ukrainian "Porubne" checkpoint.

Romania farmers block the Ukrainian border again

Romanian farmers block the movement of trucks through the checkpoints "Siret" and "Vicovu de Sus" on the Ukraine border.

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reports this.

Around 12:00 p.m., farmers renewed the blocking of truck traffic in the direction of the "Siret" checkpoint, which is located opposite the Ukrainian "Porubne" checkpoint, the SBGS said.

Ukraine’s border service notes that blocking the Romanian "Vicovu-de-Sus" crossing point, opposite the Ukrainian "Krasnoilska" checkpoint, has also begun.

At the same time, the border guards point out that other types of transport, as well as pedestrians, are registered at both checkpoints according to the established procedure for entry and exit from Ukraine.

Farmers' protest in Romania: what is known

Romanian transporters and farmers, who spontaneously joined them, continue to protest for the sixth day in a row and seriously impede traffic.

On Sunday, Romanian farmers blocked the movement of trucks through the Siret checkpoint on the Ukraine border.

The day before, on Saturday, a similar blocking of traffic in the territory of Romania lasted for 6 hours.

In the evening, the Romanian farmers ended their blockade.

Category
World
Publication date

About 180,000 former Russian prisoners are fighting against Ukraine

Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine
military prisoners

Since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Federation has recruited up to 180,000 prisoners to participate in the war. They receive lower pay than other Russian military forces.

Points of attention

  • The Russian Federation has recruited around 180,000 former prisoners to participate in the war against Ukraine, offering them lower pay and benefits compared to regular military forces.
  • Recruitment of prisoners in Russia into combat operations has drawn criticism from human rights activists due to concerns over human rights violations and inadequate training of soldiers.
  • Former prisoners participating in the war do not receive the same level of payments and benefits as volunteers, with their salaries being two to four times lower than other occupying forces.
  • The recruitment of prisoners in Russia, carried out with the assistance of private military companies, has raised concerns about transparency and the fulfillment of promised amnesty and benefits.
  • The practice of mobilizing prisoners for combat operations in Russia has resulted in casualties due to lack of training, highlighting the challenges faced by this group of individuals during the conflict.

Russia is fooling former military prisoners

According to the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, as of November 2024, the Russian Federation had recruited from 140 to 180 NBC individuals serving sentences for crimes in Russian prisons to participate in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

At the same time, it is known that in total, about 300-350 thousand prisoners were in Russian colonies and prisons as of 2024. This is half the number than in 2014. The reason for the decrease is their involvement in the war.

The intelligence agency said that previously prisoners received a one-time payment of $1,718 for the contract. And in July 2024, the amount of the payment increased to $3,524.

However, prisoners, as well as their relatives, are deprived of a number of payments and benefits that volunteers receive. Also, the salary of this category of people is two to four times lower than that of other occupiers.

It is worth noting that in late December 2024, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree to abolish lump-sum payments for prisoners. Those who have concluded contracts with the Russian military department will not receive the payments.

Prisoner mobilization in Russia

The recruitment of prisoners in Russia has become a common practice during the war against Ukraine. Since mid-2022, the Russian authorities, with the assistance of private military companies, in particular the Wagner PMC, have been recruiting prisoners into combat operations, promising them amnesty, cash payments, and other privileges.

This initiative has drawn condemnation from human rights activists, who have highlighted human rights violations and a lack of transparency regarding conditions for prisoners.

Many of the prisoners died due to lack of training, and the promised benefits often remained only lip service.

Category
World
Publication date

Polish farmers held a rally against agricultural imports from Ukraine

Polish farmers
Source:  Ukrinform

Polish farmers' organizations picketed the European Commission's representation in Warsaw on January 3, as well as the National Opera House, where the opening ceremony of the Polish EU presidency is taking place today, protesting against the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries and the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to Poland.

Points of attention

  • Polish farmers protested against the import of agricultural products from Ukraine and the free trade agreement with Mercosur countries, citing negative consequences for the Polish countryside.
  • The protests were directed at the European Commission and the harmful effects of the Green Deal, with farmers demanding changes in policies affecting rural development in Poland.
  • Farmers raised concerns about tax subsidies for Ukrainian agriculture, emphasizing the potential losses for local farmers and the need to prioritize the Polish economy.
  • The Minister of Agriculture engaged in dialogue with the protesters and promised further meetings to address their demands, highlighting the government's efforts to resolve the issues through dialogue.
  • Despite the temporary suspension of protests, Polish farmers threatened to block the border with Ukraine if their demands are not met, indicating the persistence of their concerns and the potential for future actions.

Polish protested against the import of agricultural products from Ukraine

Thousands of Polish farmers from over 20 agricultural unions and associations united in the "Association of Agrarian Organizations" came to Warsaw.

Farmers protested against the "five dictates of the European Commission" under the slogan "5 Stops". These include the free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries, the European Green Deal, the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to Poland, the destruction of Polish forests and hunting opportunities, and the creation of obstacles to the development of the Polish economy.

Farmers held Polish flags, posters with inscriptions such as "Mercosur — the bankruptcy of the Polish village", "Green chaos", "Down with the criminal green order for Poland", "Polexit", "Green order — ecoterrorism" and others.

During the demonstration, representatives of various agrarian organizations speak, emphasizing that the Polish countryside suffers from the dictates of the European Commission and the harmful green policy.

Polish farmers also opposed additional payments from EU funds to the Ukrainian agricultural sector on the path to integration into the European Union, which, in their opinion, would come at the expense of losses for local farmers.

Representatives of the demonstrators submitted a petition to the Warsaw office of the European Commission with their demands regarding five points of protest.

In turn, the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Poland, Czesław Sekerski, said that he expects the protesting farmers to present their demands in detail. He noted that the government has already fulfilled most of their demands. According to him, the Polish government wants to solve the problems of the countryside through dialogue. In particular, the third meeting of the minister with representatives of farmer organizations, including the participants of today's protest, is scheduled for January 15.

Polish farmers threaten to completely block the border with Ukraine

Journalists from the Polish publication TOK FM refer to a statement by the co-organizer of the protest, leader of the "Deceived Village" organization, Roman Kondruw, who noted that the protests have been suspended, but not stopped.

"We are giving the minister time, and if nothing is resolved, we will definitely go to the border again. And this will be a mass protest, there will be actions on the entire eastern border," Kondrov warned.

The action is not directly related to Ukraine. The farmers were concerned about the free trade agreement between the EU and South American countries. In addition, they were outraged by the situation with the agricultural tax.

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