The US Ambassador to Poland confirmed on Wednesday that US President Joe Biden will visit Poland February 20-22 to meet with President Andrzej Duda and other officials.
Biden is set to deliver a key speech in Warsaw on Tuesday, where he will reportedly reaffirm the US commitment to stand with Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” Biden’s speech will also address the security architecture in Europe, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and Poland’s role in supporting Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees.
According to Marcin Przydacz, head of the Polish president’s International Policy Bureau, the visit of Biden and other global leaders speaks to Poland’s emerging role as a “diplomatic center” and “a center of discussion” concerning NATO’s eastern flank and the alliance’s current security challenges.
President Biden is scheduled to make his address on Tuesday, February 21, at 17:30 in the Warsaw Royal Castle’s Kubicki Arcades.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Polskie Radio, The First News
The European Commission has proposed new sanctions on Russian products and restrictions on electronic components used in Russian weapons systems as the war in Ukraine approaches its second year.
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen told the European Parliament on Wednesday that the EU executive was “suggesting restrictions on some dual-use and electronic components used in Russian armed systems such as drones and missiles and helicopters.”
During her speech, von der Leyen explained that the new sanctions are essential to “weakening Russia’s ability to maintain its war machine.”
The proposed new curbs, if approved by all 27 EU member states, could cost Russia EUR 11 billion in lost trade, news agencies reported.
The EU is currently working on its 10th sanctions package to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Source: Polskie Radio
Members of the HUSAR search and rescue team have returned to Poland after saving 12 victims of the massive earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria last week.
The group of 76 Polish firefighters, mine rescuers, and medical workers, including 15 rescuers from Trójmiasto, were given a hero’s welcome by Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński and the head of the State Fire Service, Andrzej Bartkowiak, when the group landed in Warsaw yesterday afternoon.
The group spent a week in the southern Turkish town of Besni, working around the clock to pull survivors from the rubble of the massive earthquake. The team collectively managed to rescue 12 people.
Rescue efforts in Turkey and Syria are ongoing, with survivors still being found nearly ten days after the event. On Wednesday, a woman and her two children were rescued after spending more than 228 hours buried under rubble in the Turkish city of Antakya. Local news reports from Turkey also showed a woman in her late seventies being rescued on Tuesday and another in her mid-forties being rescued on Wednesday.
As of this morning, the violent earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6 has killed more than 41,000 people, including more than 5,800 in Syria.
Source: Polskie Radio, PAP, Reuters
Gdynia Search and Rescue is looking to train a new cohort of rescuers, with official recruitment set to open in March.
The Poszukiwawcze Ochotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe (POPR) conducts search operations for missing people, evacuates victims from hard-to-reach places, provides support for various outdoor events, and conducts first aid and other training.
POPR is looking for candidates who want to help those in need, work well in a team, and are not afraid of difficult and challenging situations. While the next round of recruitment officially opens on March 18, interested candidates are encouraged to apply now.
Qualifications are the same for men and women – candidates must be at least 18 years old, have a clean background, pass an entrance examination, and be in good physical condition, as search operations are typically carried out in unfavorable terrain and weather conditions.
Interested candidates should send an e-mail to kontakt@popr.com.pl with their full name, telephone number, age, address, RODO consent for the processing of personal data, and a short explanation of why they want to join the POPR.
A full list of requirements and instructions on how to apply are available HERE.
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy, with a chance for rain in the evening and a light breeze coming in from the southwest. Temperatures will be slightly warmer than yesterday, with a high of 7°C or 45°F dropping to a low of 1°C, or 34°F overnight. Similar temperatures are expected for tomorrow, with a chance for more rain starting tomorrow afternoon.
Elizabeth Peck
