“It Has Never Been so Bad”: Poland Outraged over Loss of Russian Money

“It Has Never Been so Bad”: Poland Outraged over Loss of Russian Money

BI: in Braniewo, Poland, residents complain about loss of Russian money due to border closure

Citizens of the Polish town of Braniewo complain about the loss of income due to the closure of the border with Russia, writes Balkan Insight.

The article says that the border town used to play an important role in the transit of Russian coal, but its importance has plummeted following Warsaw’s decision to impose an embargo on Moscow. The head of the Polfrost cargo terminal, Dariusz Lewko, said employees have had their salaries cut by 30 per cent. He said the company had experienced downturns in its history, but “it has never been this bad”.

“Terminals unloading Russian coal provided stable, well-paid jobs. Russians went shopping in Braniewo and Poles went to Kaliningrad for cheap petrol,” the publication says.

It is stressed that the greatest indignation is expressed by local businessmen.

“The Russians were spending so much money that it is incomprehensible. There were goods, there were buyers,” one of them told BI.

The author of the publication specified that the situation worsened back in 2016, when the Polish government suspended visa-free transit between Poland and the Kaliningrad region for locals.

“Everything was booming here, everyone was happy, people were earning money, living normally and building new houses, there were plans to build new shops,” the source said.

Another source explained that thanks to the Russians, the branch of the large chain retail company Biedronka had the highest turnover in Poland.

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