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EU to End Ukraine’s Trade Visa-Free Regime on June 5, Polish Prime Minister Confirms

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Lucile Brizard
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EU to End Ukraine’s Trade Visa-Free Regime on June 5, Polish Prime Minister Confirms
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks to the press after a meeting on May 16, 2025, in Tirana, Albania, during the European Political Community summit, which includes leaders from 27 EU countries and 20 others. (Source: Getty Images)

The European Union will end Ukraine’s trade visa-free regime on June 5, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced.

According to Polish media outlet RMF24 on May 20, the decision marks the conclusion of a mechanism introduced after Russia’s full-scale invasion to allow Ukrainian goods duty-free access to EU markets.

Tusk spearheaded a campaign urging the EU to discontinue the Autonomous Trade Measures (ATM) that facilitated this trade liberalization.

“And we succeeded—as of June 5, this mechanism will no longer be in place. We are returning to the pre-war border rules,” Tusk said.

He emphasized that the Polish government supports Ukraine in its defense against Russia but intends to safeguard Polish producers, particularly farmers. “The government will protect Poland’s economic interests, even if they come into conflict with those of Ukraine,” Tusk added.

He further noted, “I have no problem with that, because no one can accuse me of being anti-Ukrainian when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine war.”

The trade visa-free regime has been contentious within Poland, provoking significant protests from farmers last year, who blocked Ukrainian border crossings in opposition.

Earlier, the National Research Institute reported that foreign-funded political advertisements on Facebook appear to be an attempt to interfere in Poland’s upcoming presidential election.

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