Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau was in Kyiv on Tuesday to meet with top Ukrainian government officials and demonstrate both Polish and OSCE support for the war-torn country.
In addition to meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Rau toured the formerly-occupied town of Bucha, paying his respects to the victims of the civilian massacres committed there by invading Russian forces.
In a press conference alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, Rau called on the international community to ensure that „the war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine must not be forgotten and those responsible must be brought to justice.”
He also met with internally displaced Ukrainians living in temporary accommodation financed by the Polish government.
In his official capacity as the current chairman of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Rau assured Ukrainians they could count on the OSCE’s support „regardless of circumstances.”
He later announced the launch of a EUR 30 million OSCE Support Program for Ukraine, which will „support Ukraine in meeting the country’s many challenges and helping in its post-war rehabilitation and reconstruction.”
Source: Radio Poland, PAP
The first ship carrying grain for world markets left the Ukrainian port of Odesa on Monday under a safe passage agreement negotiated with Ukraine and Russia in July.
The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Razoni, loaded with over 26,000 tons of corn, is bound for Lebanon, the Reuters news agency reported, citing Turkey’s defense ministry.
According to Ukrainian officials, 16 more vessels „are waiting their turn to leave the port,” with Infrastructure Minister Oleksander Kubrakov warning it will take months for exports to reach pre-war levels, assuming the agreement with Russia remains in place.
The United Nations and Turkey brokered the grain-and-fertilizer export deal on July 22. It paves the way for the resumption of Ukraine’s exports for the first time since the Russian invasion blocked shipping through the Black Sea in February.
Under the agreement, Moscow committed to giving safe passage to ships exporting grain from the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi. A day after the deal was signed, however, Russian missiles hit Odesa and damaged port infrastructure, according to local and international news outlets.
Source: Radio Poland, Financial Times
Over £22,000 (PLN 125,000) has been raised for Polish-born RAF veteran Jan Stangryciuk, who was the victim of a robbery at his home in west London five weeks ago.
Stangryciuk, who turned 100 in April, discovered that thousands of pounds in cash that he and his wife had saved for a trip to Poland, as well as his WWII medals, were missing after he let three men posing as workers from a water company into his house.
After hearing of his plight, more than 1,000 Polish and British citizens collectively donated £22,460 in a fundraiser launched by the organization „British Poles.” The money will cover the cost of installing an alarm system in the home of the Stangryciuk couple, as well as their day-to-day needs and their planned trip to Poland.
Stangryciuk, who was born in eastern Poland in 1922 and then immigrated to Argentina, took part in 18 air missions over Nazi Germany between 1944 and 1945. He was the only Pole to have participated in the victory parade in London on June 8, 1946.
Source: Radio Poland
The fifth annual Octopus film festival opened yesterday in various locations around Gdańsk and the Gdańsk Shipyard. This year’s festival will showcase 49 films at 67 screenings in 9 locations, including a „secret screening” at an undisclosed location.
In addition to classic horror and action genre favorites like „Saw” and „John Wick: Chapter Two,” the festival will feature genre films from around the world that have not been shown in Polish cinemas before, such as the Swedish/Finnish horror fairytale „Hatching” and the Dutch folk horror „Moloch.”
Special events include a meeting with Polish „gangster film” actor and director Michał Milowicz, who will do a live Polish voice-over during a screening of the British gangster film „Snatch” on August 6.
Also notable are several „participatory screenings” where participants roleplay a scenario based on the film. The 1985 John Hughes’ classic „Breakfast Club” will be screened at III LO in Gdańsk, and viewers will be required to dress up and roleplay as one of the five archetypes represented in the film (athlete, rebel, princess, geek, and freak).
For more information on the festival or other events, visit https://octopusfilmfestival.com/.
Source: gdansk.pl, octopusfilmfestival.com
Weather
Today will be mostly sunny and hot, with almost no chance of rain and a gentle breeze coming in from the south. Temperatures will peak around a high of 29°C, or 84°F, dropping to an overnight low of 17°C or 62°F. Even hotter weather is expected tomorrow, with temperatures staying into the mid-thirties Celsius until the start of the weekend.
Elizabeth Peck/MarWer
