The Polish President, Andrzej Duda, has hosted a New Year meeting with foreign ambassadors at the Presidential Palace. During the meeting he made a speech in which he stated that „Russia’s barbaric aggression against Ukraine has forced the world to redefine existing geopolitical arrangements”.

Addressing his guests, the president said: „Before you began your missions in Poland, Ladies and Gentlemen, probably not many of you expected that in the first months of 2022, this country would be at the heart of global developments, and that suddenly cities considered remote, such as Przemyśl and Rzeszów, would see the arrivals and departures of the most important persons from your countries.” He added: „Together with you, we have become participants in a story that will probably determine the shape of Europe, the West and the entire world for decades to come, and who knows, maybe even longer.”

Source – Polskie Radio

A US Navy veteran who had been held by Russia for the last 9 months has been released at the Polish Border, according to reports by CNN.

The man was freed at the Russia-Poland border crossing in the Kaliningrad enclave on Thursday after months of negotiations. The broadcaster said Russian authorities released Dudley to a group of officials including a representative from the US embassy in Warsaw. The Department of State and the US embassies in Moscow and Warsaw helped secure Dudley’s release, CNN reported, citing a spokesperson for his family.

Source – Polskie Radio

Poland’s president has appointed one of his senior diplomats as a new top foreign policy aid this week.

The appointment was announced after Duda’s previous top foreign policy adviser said on Thursday he was stepping down. In a statement on Twitter, the former policy adviser wrote, „Today, at my own request, with President Duda’s consent and as agreed a few months ago, after a year and a half of very intensive work, I am stepping down as head of the president’s International Policy Bureau”. He said he was stepping down „for family reasons,” adding that Duda would soon entrust him with „a new, responsible and exceptionally interesting mission”.

Source – Polskie Radio

139 skaters from 25 countries, including 10 Poles, will compete from Friday to Sunday in the European Short Track Championships in Gdańsk.

Qualifiers will take place on the first day and finals will take place on the weekend. In the last edition of the event, none of the Polish athletes made it through the qualification stage, but this year hopes are high that at least one Polish competitor will make it past the qualification stage. Last year’s event which was supposed to be held in Dresden was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic situation.

Source – Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be a rainy day in a moderate breeze and temperatures of 10 degrees centigrade (50 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and 4 degrees overnight. Tomorrow will be cloudy in a moderate breeze with temperatures of 7 degrees during the day and 5 degrees overnight.

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Martin Caren/MarWer