Trucks blocked on the Poland-Belarus border.
A large queue of trucks has formed on the Poland-Belarus border as Russian and Belarusian drivers try to leave the EU after a deadline of sanctions.
On the eve of Saturday’s deadline, the line was extended to 80 km, with some stuck for up to 33 hours.
The EU has banned trucks from Russia and Belarus – except those transporting medicines, mail or petroleum products – from entering or staying on the block.
This action is part of the sanctions due to the Russian aggression of Ukraine.
Meanwhile some images showed long queues remaining with the midnight deadline approaching.
“There are still many kilometers to go to the border – so it is unrealistic,” a Belarusian driver was quoted as saying of his chances of crossing the border in time.
And a few hours after the deadline, the waiting time was reduced to 12 hours, with the number of trucks at two border crossings between 230-400.
However, it is unclear what will happen to the thousands of other trucks from the two countries that are estimated to be currently in EU territory.
One possibility is that they will be seized by national authorities.
A Polish official representing transport groups expressed concern that such an action could lead to similar measures against Polish trucks using Russia and Belarus on their way home.
The EU – and many other Western countries – have imposed punitive sanctions against Russia and its main ally Belarus.