Ukraine is negotiating with neighbouring countries to move part of its border control to their territory, said First Deputy Minister for Restoration, Infrastructure and Transport Serhii Derkach. The reason is Russian attacks on Ukrainian checkpoints, which pose a threat to people and can disrupt the movement of vehicles and cargo.
Negotiations with Moldova and other neighbours
According to Derkach, Ukraine is working with Moldova to increase the number of joint checkpoints on Moldovan territory. “We are working with Moldova to increase the number of joint checkpoints on its territory. We may implement one or two more pilot projects,” Derkach said.
Derkach also said Kyiv is holding talks on similar arrangements with Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary. Around two months ago, Russia for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion began attacking road checkpoints; the damaged facilities were restored within a day, but the risk of further strikes remains.
Poland’s position on joint control
The Polish side on 20 October confirmed it was prepared to consider shifting control procedures onto its territory if needed for security, while stressing that checks must be conducted jointly rather than by Ukrainian services alone. No final decision has been made on introducing the new format.
Joint control means that the border and customs services of both countries carry out procedures in the same place. There are already five joint checkpoints on the Ukrainian–Polish border; further development of the practice requires an intergovernmental agreement that would provide the legal basis for Ukrainian services to operate on Polish territory.
Schengen restrictions and customs processing of cargo
Moving control onto the territory of European Union (EU) countries faces legal constraints: Poland is in the Schengen Area, and its legislation does not allow border guards of a third country to carry out checks independently on Polish territory. The new format should provide for joint work by Ukrainian and Polish services, comply with Schengen rules, and would also require notifying the European Commission.
Separately, Ukraine is negotiating with Poland and Slovakia to move the customs clearance of grain trucks deeper into those countries. This measure is primarily intended to protect grain shipments from drone attacks near the Ukrainian border.
