WARSAW — Poland will reopen border crossings with Belarus at midnight from Wednesday to Thursday, ending a nearly two-week shutdown that’s wreaked havoc on rail shipments between China and Europe, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Tuesday.

Warsaw closed all its border crossings with Belarus on Sept. 12, citing security concerns over the Zapad 25 Russia-Belarus war games. That coincided with 21 Russian drones flying into Polish airspace on Sept. 10; at least three were shot down.

Tusk said the interior minister would follow up by issuing a regulation to reopen road and rail crossings. 

“Taking into account the economic interests of Polish carriers, including PKP Cargo, we concluded that this preventive step has fulfilled its role,” the PM said. 

The blockade disrupted a route that carries around €25 billion worth of EU-China trade. Poland’s state-controlled rail freight giant PKP Cargo warned that prolonged closure would divert freight south through Central Asia and the Black Sea, at a loss to the Polish economy.

While Beijing pressed Warsaw to restore traffic, Polish officials said the “logic of security” outweighed economic considerations at the time. 

Tusk also hinted that Poland could shut the crossings again if threats reemerge. While the situation “is not joyful,” he said, the conclusion of the Zapad drills reduced — though did not eliminate — risks linked to Moscow’s “aggressive posture.”

“This tool remains at our disposal, and if tensions rise, we will not hesitate to use it again,” Tusk said.