MFA comments on situation with Belarusian truckers stranded in Ukraine

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus commented on the situation with Belarusian truck drivers stranded in Ukraine and the efforts to help them out, BelTA has learned.

“The situation is really very complicated, there is no denying it. We have systematized all the information, and by now we have built a clear picture. About 280 Belarusian trucks are stuck on the territory of Ukraine. In addition, freight vehicles driven by Belarusian nationals continue to amass at Ukraine's border with the EU states: Hungary, Romania, Slovakia. Unduly confiscation or seizure of trucks have become a common thing. At the moment our absolute priority are the drivers who fell hostage to the situation. Unfortunately, we get reports about the seizure of documents and the forcible retention of some of them,” Press Secretary of the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Anatoly Glaz said.

According to him, Belarus is making every effort to resolve the situation jointly with the Ukrainian and Russian sides. “Certain issues are resolved in a manual mode. Through joint efforts, 143 crews of Belarusian truck drivers were assisted in returning home by car and on foot,” the representative of the foreign ministry noted.

In addition, work is underway with the EU states adjacent to Ukraine, negotiations are taking place with their border authorities to facilitate the transit of Belarusian vehicles through the territory of the European Union. “We have made some progress here, too,” Anatoly Glaz said.

“We keep looking for possible and mutually acceptable ways, methods and mechanisms to resolve the situation, we are trying to figure out an algorithm that would suit all the sides. However, as we have noted earlier, at present the possibilities of the Ukrainian side are significantly limited. Various paramilitary formations operate on its territory and they do not always report to Kiev,” the official representative of the Belarusian foreign ministry said.