Speaking at a business forum in Białystok on 28 October, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland is prepared to re-open the Bobrowniki and Kuźnica road crossings on its eastern frontier with Belarus in the first half of November. The two posts were among several shut on 12 September after Russian drone incursions and large-scale military exercises in Belarus raised security concerns.
According to Tusk, the measure will be rolled out on a **“trial basis”** and could be reversed immediately if security deteriorates. Before any reopening, Warsaw will coordinate with Lithuania, which has faced its own air-space violations and temporarily closed its last two Belarus checkpoints on 29 October. If approved, the move would restore the shortest freight and passenger route between north-eastern Poland and Minsk, relieving pressure on the single road crossing (Terespol–Brest) that has handled most commercial traffic for the past six weeks.
Logistics operators say the September closures lengthened transit times for EU–Eurasian Economic Union trade by 8-12 hours and forced rerouting through Latvia or deeper into Ukraine. Multinationals moving automotive parts, dairy products and e-commerce parcels to or from Polish distribution hubs have reported additional costs of €300–€500 per truckload.
The Border Guard Service is already redeploying 200 officers to the two posts and installing additional mobile scanners. Employers expecting expatriate engineers from Belarus should, however, prepare contingency plans because visa issuance at the Polish consulate in Minsk remains suspended; travellers will have to apply in Grodno or Vilnius until further notice.
For global mobility managers, the announcement offers a potential easing of supply-chain bottlenecks ahead of the Christmas peak. Yet companies are advised to keep flexible booking options, as the geopolitical situation on the Belarus border remains highly volatile.
According to Tusk, the measure will be rolled out on a **“trial basis”** and could be reversed immediately if security deteriorates. Before any reopening, Warsaw will coordinate with Lithuania, which has faced its own air-space violations and temporarily closed its last two Belarus checkpoints on 29 October. If approved, the move would restore the shortest freight and passenger route between north-eastern Poland and Minsk, relieving pressure on the single road crossing (Terespol–Brest) that has handled most commercial traffic for the past six weeks.
Logistics operators say the September closures lengthened transit times for EU–Eurasian Economic Union trade by 8-12 hours and forced rerouting through Latvia or deeper into Ukraine. Multinationals moving automotive parts, dairy products and e-commerce parcels to or from Polish distribution hubs have reported additional costs of €300–€500 per truckload.
The Border Guard Service is already redeploying 200 officers to the two posts and installing additional mobile scanners. Employers expecting expatriate engineers from Belarus should, however, prepare contingency plans because visa issuance at the Polish consulate in Minsk remains suspended; travellers will have to apply in Grodno or Vilnius until further notice.
For global mobility managers, the announcement offers a potential easing of supply-chain bottlenecks ahead of the Christmas peak. Yet companies are advised to keep flexible booking options, as the geopolitical situation on the Belarus border remains highly volatile.
출처: Reuters
