Poland and other NATO allies have responded with concern to a reported increase in Russian troops near the eastern border with Ukraine.

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the Russian military build-up in a phone call yesterday ahead of an emergency meeting of NATO foreign and defense ministers scheduled for later this week.

According to a statement by the Polish Foreign Ministry, “the conversation focused on issues including NATO’s response to Russia’s activities in Ukraine, with both diplomats reportedly “agree[ing] on the need for continued support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Russia on Tuesday to withdraw troops from Ukraine’s eastern border in what the alliance says is Moscow’s biggest build-up since 2014. Russian officials have responded by accusing NATO allies of turning Ukraine into a “powder keg.”

Polish health officials announced yesterday that they plan to administer 20 million COVID vaccines by the end of the second quarter.

Under the new timetable, all Poles willing to have a shot would be inoculated with at least a first dose by the end of August. Health officials noted that the accelerated inoculation campaign would remain dependent upon fulfillment of vaccine orders currently in place.

Poles are currently receiving shots made by drug producers Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna, with the first delivery of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines set to arrive Wednesday morning.

According to health officials, nearly 7.8 million COVID-19 shots have been administered in Poland so far, including more than 100,000 in a 24-hour period from Monday to Tuesday.

Poland reported 13,227 new coronavirus infections and 644 more deaths on Tuesday, bringing the country’s total number of cases to nearly 2.6 million (2,599,850) and deaths to nearly 60,000 (59,126).

Poland’s top officials paid tribute on Tuesday to the thousands of Polish officers and intellectuals killed by the Soviet regime as part of the infamous Katyń Massacre.

An estimated 22,000 Polish prisoners of war were killed in the spring of 1940 on orders from top Soviet authorities. The Soviet government denied responsibility for the massacre for decades, and the topic was taboo in Poland until the fall of communism in 1989.

Officials from the City of Gdańsk and the Pomeranian Voivodeship, along with representatives from the Institute of National Remembrance and military and veteran’s organizations, paid tribute to Poles murdered by the Soviets in a modest ceremony at the Monument to the Golgotha of the East in Łostowice Cemetery yesterday.

In an official letter published yesterday, President Andrzej Duda described preservation of the memory of the Katyn crime a “moral duty and a great obligation to serve our country.” He went on to commend the victims of the massacre, who “left a legacy of unshakable, proud patriotism,” while also inspiring „generations of those who fought for a free and sovereign Poland.”

Today marks the 1,055th anniversary of Poland’s Christian baptism under Mieszko I, an event many historians recognize as the birth of the Polish state.

The associated holiday, which was established by an act of the Polish parliament in 2019, aims to commemorate the baptism of Poland on April 14, 966, by raising awareness of its historical significance. Today is only the third time the public holiday has been observed, with residents being encouraged to promote the holiday by displaying the Polish flag.

Polish tennis player Hubert Hurkacz has made it to the second round of the men’s singles and men’s doubles competition at the Monte-Carlo Masters tournament.

On Tuesday, the 24-year-old Pole defeated Italian qualifier Thomas Fabbiano, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, in their first-round men’s singles match at the clay-court tournament in the south of France.

Hurkacz, who is currently ranked world No. 16, will now take on Daniel Evans of Britain in the next round of the men’s singles, scheduled for 13:40 CEST April 14.

Weather

Today will be mostly cloudy, with winds coming in from the north and only a slight chance of rain during the day. Temperatures will remain on the chilly side, with an afternoon high of 7°C, or 44°F, dropping to a low of 3°C or 37°F overnight. Similar weather is expected for tomorrow, with a chance for some sun over the weekend.

EPeck