On Friday, US President Donald Trump signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which includes sanctions on companies building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea.

In addition to the United States, Poland and several other Central European nations oppose the project, arguing that it significantly increases Russia’s political and economic influence in the region and poses a threat to EU energy security. The US legislation authorizes sanctions on companies and individuals assisting in the construction of the pipeline, leading the Swiss-Danish company Allseas to officially suspend its work as of Saturday.

In response, the European Commission strongly condemned the move by the US, arguing that “the European Union is opposed to imposing sanctions on legitimate European businesses.” Potential sanctions include a ban on entry into the United States and a freeze on funds and assets. The US Department of State has 60 days to provide Congress with an official list of entities to be sanctioned.

Source: PAP

Members of various faiths meet in Oliwa to celebrate Wigilia

Representatives of eleven different religious organizations took part in an ecumenical holiday celebration at the Oliwa Ratusz Kultury on Saturday. Various Catholic and Evangelical Protestant Christian denominations were joined by local politicians and members of the Jewish community to share a meal and unveil a large-scale szopka (Christmas nativity) made entirely out of sand.

“The essence of Wigilia is the shared community table,” explained event organizer and Gdańsk city council member Andrzej Stelmasiewicz.“It doesn’t matter if we’re Catholics, Muslims, Jews or nonbelievers – we are all people and we should respect each other despite our differences.”

The interfaith meeting began with the unveiling of the Christmas nativity, a sculpture depicting the Holy Family which required four people and 80 tons of sand to construct. The nativity sculpture will be on display at the Oliwa Town Hall of Culture until January 6th.

Source: PAP, Radio Gdańsk

Ryanair gives Trójmiasto residents an early Christmas present

Discount airline Ryanair recently announced they would be offering direct flights to the Bulgarian port of Burgas on the Black Sea starting June 2nd of next year.

According to Tomasz Kloskowski, President of Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport, “this is great news for tourists” as Poles can now organize an affordable summer trip to Bulgaria on their own. The two-hour flights will be offered twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays beginning June 2nd and running to the end of September.

Tickets can already be purchased via Ryanair’s online booking system, with flights averaging around 50 EUR, or about 215 złoty one-way. In addition to direct flights to Bulgaria, the Gdańsk airport is also offering new holiday connections next spring and summer to Zadar in Croatia, Kalamata in Greece, Bari in Italy and Zaporozhye in Ukraine.

Source: gdansk.pl

Polish chefs offer their advice on how to spice up traditional holiday pierogi

Two titans of Polish cooking, chefs Magda Gessler and Jurek Sobieniak, recently offered some new twists on a traditional holiday dish.

Pierogi z kapustą i grzybami, or sauerkraut and mushroom pierogi, are a Polish Christmas staple, and one that can benefit from a few additional ingredients to ensure they don’t become bland or boring.

Chef and restaurateur Magda Gessler, host of the popular Polish reality TV program “Kuchenne rewolucje” or “Kitchen Revolutions” emphasizes that the cabbage in the pierogi filling “must have an intense taste” to distinguish it from the dough.To ensure her pierogi have the right mix of salt and spice, Gessler adds cabbage juice, pepper, a pinch of allspice, two cloves, and a little sugar and salt to the filling.

Similarly, Chef Jurek Sobieniak suggests adding some truffle oil, smoked plums, or roasted nuts to the filling to give the popular dumplings an additional kick. Sobieniak’s secret ingredient, however, is a plum stuffed with a small piece of gorgonzola cheese, which is then wrapped and baked in a pie sheet. Rewelacyjnie!

Source: PAP

Weather

Today will be mostly cloudy and overcast with a good chance of rain midday, tapering off in the evening and overnight. Temperatures will hover around 5-7 degrees Celsius or the low 40s Fahrenheit with Christmas Eve set to continue the same trend of scattered rain and overcast skies.

RGEN