In an unusually strongly-worded comment, the Polish PM Morawiecki has accused Russian President Putin of lying about Poland’s role in WW2.
The PM’s statement came yesterday after reports of several recent outbursts from the Russian president accusing Poland of provoking WW2.
The Polish prime minister said that Poland was “the war’s first victim” and that his country experienced “the armed aggression of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia.”
According to the Polish prime minister, “President Putin has lied about Poland on numerous occasions, and he always does it deliberately.”
Morawiecki said: “This usually happens when Russian authorities feel international pressure related to their activities.
He added that in recent weeks Putin had “suffered several significant setbacks –failing to take complete control over Belarus, the extension of EU sanctions imposed for the illegal annexation of Crimea, new sanctions from the US – significantly hindering the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 gas project and the 4 year suspension of Russian athletes following widespread doping.
Most historians agree that WW2 started in September 1939 with Poland being attacked and partitioned by Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia further, to an agreement signed that August between the two dictatorships.
The European Parliament has just passed a resolution blaming both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany for the outbreak of the war more than 80 years ago.
PKP – Polish railways has announced plans to invest up to 15 billion zloty (EUR 3.5 billion) in 2020 to improve infrastructure, a double digit increase from this year.
Ireneusz Merchel, who manages national rail infrastructure, said: “We expect that in 2020 our investments will be 30 percent up on last year. Almost a third of the money will be spent on improving rail links with the Baltic ports in northern Poland including Gdańsk and Gdynia.
The remaining projects will include proved connections from Warsaw to Poznań and Radom and improvement around Kraków.
Rail passenger numbers continue to rise with passenger numbers this year exceeding 50 million. Rolling stock is also being modernised with more than PLN 7 billion zloty earmarked for new equipment this year.
New China-Poland cargo service launched
A new freight train service has gone into operation to support the growing needs for faster transport between Europe and China.
The maiden voyage started on Tuesday in northwest China’s transport hub of Xi’an and is expected to end at the Polish southern town of Sławków later this week covering the the distance of 9,478 km in just 10 days. From Sławków cargo will be sent via a freight train to the Polish seaport of Gdańsk and then shipped out to north-western European countries.
Gdańsk already receives intermodal transport from China through the eastern railway hub of Małaszewicze.
Compared with the sea-container transport, the rail service is much faster
The New Year is a huge celebration in Poland with numerous parties, shows and balls. There is also plenty of outdoor entertainment with open air concets planned across the Tri-city.
You can party this year at any of the 6 events prepared by the city of Gdańsk You can kick off at 5.30 pm at the Targ Węglowy by the Old Town listening to Roksana and from 10.30pm chose from Vox performing at Oruński Park, Kalvi & Remi at the sea pier in Brzeźno, or next to Olivia Hall – dance to Nocny Kochanek. The lead event will be held near the river in Gdansk on Dlugie Ogrody where you can welcome the new year to the music of Happysad, Wilanowski Canyon and Zakopower.
A special New Year Party bus will run between the events all of which are free.
The Weather
Today’s weather will be cold and overcast but with some sunny spells developing Expect a moderate wind and temperatures of 2 degrees centigrade (36 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, falling to 1 degree centigrade (34 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight.
RGEN/AG
