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Poland enforces EU ban on Russian-registered cars

September 17, 2023

The move is part of the EU's sweeping sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, with Poland joining its Baltic allies. Poland's interior minister said cars registered in Russia have "no right" to enter.

https://p.dw.com/p/4WRFd
The border between Poland and Russia
Cars registered in Russia can no longer cross into PolandImage: Michal Fludra/NurPhoto/picture alliance

Poland began enforcing a European Union ban on cars registered in Russia on Sunday, joining the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in doing so. 

The citizenship of the driver and any passengers makes no difference.

"A car registered in Russia has no right to enter Poland," Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said Saturday, before the ban came into force at midnight.

"This is another element of the sanctions imposed on Russia and its citizens in connection with the brutal war in Ukraine, due to the fact that the Russian state today constitutes a threat to international security."

The move extends a restriction that already applied to trucks registered in Russia.

Poland's borders

Poland shares a land border with the Russian territory of Kaliningrad, a Baltic Sea port that is separated from the Russian mainland.

Poland also shares non-EU borders with Ukraine and Belarus.

Border authorities said the ban would be the same regardless of which border the vehicles sought to cross.

The website of Poland's Border Guard said Russian-tagged cars "will be returned to the non-EU country from which they came, regardless of whether it is Russia or another country."

zc/rc (AP, dpa)