The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia met with Ukrainian leaders in Kyiv yesterday in a show of support for Ukraine amidst Russian airstrikes and shelling.
Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the Czech Republic’s Petr Fiala, and Slovenia’s Janez Janša arrived by special train yesterday afternoon to meet with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
The Polish-Czech-Slovenian delegation spent most of the meeting discussing international aid, Russian sanctions and restitution, and plans for the reconstruction.
In later comments, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called on the European Union to grant Ukraine candidate status and promised to help the country obtain more defensive weaponry to respond to Russian attacks.
After the meeting in Kyiv, Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński, who was also in attendance, called for an armed peacekeeping and humanitarian mission prepared by NATO or other organizations to be held on the territory of Ukraine.
When asked about the specifics of such a mission, Kaczynski replied it should be understood as “a challenge.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later thanked the delegation for visiting Kyiv amidst the Russian invasion, calling their presence a “strong, courageous, friendly step.” He went on to add that he was “convinced that with such friends, with such states, neighbors, and partners we will indeed make it, and we are going to win.”
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland
Inflation in Poland stood at 8.5 percent in year-on-year terms in February, according to estimates the Central Statistical Office (GUS) released on Tuesday.
The reading was 0.4 percentage points higher than forecast by economists polled by Poland’s PAP news agency. According to GUS, the prices of consumer goods and services in Poland were 9.4 percent higher in January than in the previous year.
Last week, the Polish central bank’s Monetary Policy Council raised key interest rates for the sixth consecutive time in a bid to tame inflation, with the current Polish government promising to extend anti-inflationary tax relief measures beyond their six-month expiration date.
Source: Radio Poland
Students in Pomerania and across Poland are taking part today in the 8th annual “Olimpiada Solidarności” or “Solidarity Olympics” academic competition.
The “Solidarity Olympics. Two decades of history “ is the largest and most recognizable national historical competition for high school students in Poland, testing their knowledge of the period from 1970 to 1990. Fifty-six students from the Pomeranian Voivodeship will begin the first stage of the competition, a history exam, starting at 10:00 this morning in the BHP hall in Gdańsk.
The top three students from each voivodeship competition will then come to Gdańsk for a three-day study visit in April and later advance to the final competition exam in June. Winners receive full-time university placements and annual scholarships, along with other material prizes.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Polish tennis phenom Iga Świątek has advanced to the quarterfinals of the women’s singles competition at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California.
After struggling in the first set, Świątek came back to defeat Germany’s Angelique Kerber 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 during their fourth-round match last night.
The 20-year-old Pole will next face off against Madison Keys of the US for the chance to advance to the semifinals. The match is currently set for tomorrow, 2:00 Warsaw time.
Source: Radio Poland, atptour.com
The national football teams of Poland and Scotland have announced they will donate part of the profits from their upcoming friendly match to help victims of the war in Ukraine.
The move was agreed on by both countries’ football federations and the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF. Fans are being urged to turn up at the game in large numbers, as £10 from every ticket sold goes to war refugees and those injured in Ukraine.
Poland was initially due to face Russia on March 24, with Scotland scheduled to play Ukraine on the same date, in the first round of playoffs for the World Cup in Qatar.
After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, football’s world governing body FIFA banned the Russian team from the World Cup, while the Scotland-Ukraine match was postponed until June.
The Scottish-Polish friendly is set for 20:45 on March 24, at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland.
Source: Radio Poland, UEFA.com
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy and cold, with a slight chance of rain in the early morning and afternoon, and light winds coming from the north. Temperatures will be cooler than yesterday, with a high around 7°C, or 44°F, dropping to below freezing overnight with a low of 0°C or 32°F. Warmer weather is expected tomorrow, with an increasing chance for sunny skies throughout the week.
Elizabeth Peck
