Warsaw, 1 June 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Poland has closed its eastern border with Belarus to trucks coming from both Belarus and Russia.

The ban, which went into effect on Thursday, applies to trucks, tractor units and combinations with trailers or semi-trailers registered in either country, according to Polish news agency PAP.

The Polish-Belarus border also marks the external frontier of the European Union (EU) and the Schengen Area free movement zone.

Russia, with support from its close ally Belarus, has been waging war on Ukraine since February 2022.

The Polish Interior Ministry announced the restrictions on freight traffic at the beginning of the week. Earlier, the Supreme Court of Belarus upheld the conviction of Andrzej Poczobut, a representative of the country's Polish minority.

The 50-year-old journalist was sentenced to eight years in a prison camp in February for "inciting hatred" and "calling for actions that harm Belarus."

Immediately afterwards, a dispute over border restrictions began between the two countries.

In mid-February, Poland closed the Bobrowniki border crossing. In return, Belarus made border traffic more difficult for Polish trucks. At the end of February, Poland also closed the Kukuryki-Koroszczyn crossing for trucks from Belarus.

So far, however, it has been possible for trailers from Belarus to cross the border with a Polish tractor.

Poczobut had reported for Polish media on the protests in Belarus that were triggered by the presidential elections in August 2020, which were considered rigged. Lukashenko has repeatedly accused neighbouring Poland of being behind the protests.

Belarus has about 10 million inhabitants. The Polish minority is estimated at 300,000 people.

Photo: EPA