At a ramshackle border post in southeast Poland, Ukrainian migrant workers crossing on foot with heavy bags voiced a mix of concern and defiance over Russia’s troop build-up around their country.
“We’re a bit worried but we live in western Ukraine, so it’s a long way from us,” said Marian Hermanovich, 23, a worker based in Ukraine who regularly travels to Szczecin in western Poland.
“We still travel to Poland like we did before,” he said, as he made his way along a path lined by language course and job ads towards a cluster of currency exchange booths at the Medyka border post.
The crossing is one of two designated by the US government in recent days where US nationals leaving Ukraine can enter with no extra paperwork.
The US, which has urged US citizens to leave Ukraine because of a possible invasion by Russia, has also set up a temporary welcome center to assist Americans at a hotel in nearby Przemysl.
A few dozen kilometers further west, hundreds of US troops sent to bolster NATO’s eastern flank have been landing at Rzeszow Airport since Feb. 5.
Buying houses, getting residency
NATO member Poland shares a 535-kilometre (332-mile) border with Ukraine and there are estimated to be 1.5 million Ukrainians in Poland, although only 300,000 are officially registered.
In case of a conflict, the Polish government has said it is preparing for a scenario in which up to a million Ukrainian refugees would cross over.
It has asked local administrations to provide details on possible temporary accommodation available within a 48-hour timeframe.
“In terms of preparations for hosting a large number of migrants coming from Ukraine, we are preparing, but calmly,” Dariusz Lapa, Przemysl’s city council secretary, told AFP.
Przemysl, a historic city of around 60,000 people, has a large Ukrainian minority and is dotted with Ukrainian schools, churches and community centers.
“There are no signs of panic but there do seem to be a large number of property purchases and residency requests” from Ukrainians, Lapa said.
Back at the Medyka crossing, Ania, a cleaner, said she blamed the Ukrainian government as much as Russia for the current situation.
She said Ukraine had given in too easily to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past and accused the government of ruining the economy.
“They sold out our country,” said the 67-year-old, who declined to give her surname.
“They just do everything for themselves and people are left impoverished.”
“Putin is laughing at us,” she scoffed.
© Agence France-Presse
