Polish president Andrzej Duda has joined other world leaders in praising NATO’s invitation for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance as „a historic decision”.

After yesterday’s formal announcement at the 2022 NATO summit in Madrid, Duda told reporters that, “for our part of Europe, for NATO’s eastern flank, it’s a decision of an absolutely fundamental nature”.

Duda also welcomed US President Joe Biden’s decision to create a permanent headquarters for the US Army V Corps in Poland in response to threats coming from Moscow after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Duda said it was a move that Poland “had long waited for and advocated,” as it “significantly strengthens our security and represents an additional guarantee in the current, very difficult situation.”

According to its mission statement, the V Corps works alongside NATO allies and regional security partners to provide combat-ready forces, execute joint and multinational training exercises to improve interoperability, and ensure an appropriate collective posture of deterrence and defense.

In another historic move, the 2022 summit declaration renamed Russia, once a “strategic partner” of the alliance, now “the most significant and direct threat to the allies’ security.”

The three-day NATO summit wraps up today, with additional discussions regarding coordinated aid to Ukraine expected to be finalized later this afternoon.

Source: Radio Poland, PAP, vcorps.army.mil

Beginning July 1, parents of school-age children across Poland can submit applications for the „Good Start” program for grants of PLN 300 to help offset costs related to schooling.

The grant is available irrespective of family income for children up to the age of 20, or 24 in the case of children with disabilities.

Though the official start of the school year isn’t for another two months, officials advise applying as soon as possible so that funds reach the right accounts before September 1.

Applications can be submitted via most electronic banking apps and web portals, through the PUE ZUS platform, and also through the Emp@tia portal on the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy website.

The “Good Start” financial assistance program was launched in 2018, with approximately 4.4 million children benefitting from the program each year, according to data from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.

The total amount of support in 2018-2022 will amount to approximately PLN 6.65 billion.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Iga Świątek remains the last woman standing at this year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament after fellow Poles Magda Linette, Maja Chwalińska, and Katarzyna Kawa lost their matches yesterday.

The 21-year-old Świątek faces Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove of the Netherlands today at 16:00 for the chance to advance to the third round of the tournament.

Next month, Świątek plans to join retired former world No. 2 Agnieszka Radwańska for an exhibition tournament to support humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. The charity match is scheduled for July 23 at Tauron Arena in Kraków.

Source: Radio Poland, wtatennis.com

In another closely-watched match, Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko beat fellow Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 yesterday to advance to the third round of the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

In a post-match press conference, Tsurenko referenced the recent missile strike on a mall in the central city of Kremenchuk, saying Russian reports it had hit a “non-operational” weapons depot nearby were simply “a lie.”

“…my fitness coach,” she explained, “he’s from that city…him and his father, they were not far away from that place… the father fell down because of the (shock) wave.”

She went on to encourage others to help in any way possible, explaining that even 10 dollars “means a lot” as residents in her home region of Mykolaiv haven’t had water for months, and $10 “is 10 bottles of water for these people.”

Tsurenko has promised to donate 10% of her prize money to support Ukraine.

She will face off tomorrow against Jule Niemeier of Germany.

Source: sports.ndtv.com, wtatennis.com

Weather

Today will be overcast and warm, with chances for rain throughout the day and a light breeze coming in from the northeast. Temperatures will peak around a high of 24°C, or 76°F, dropping to an overnight low of 18°C or 65°F. Tomorrow will see a spike in temperature above 30°C, or 90°F, with an increasing chance of rain showers in the late afternoon.

RGEN