Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Minsk today to meet with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in what many analysts describe as an attempt to drag Belarus more deeply into the war in Ukraine.

According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War, Putin’s „meeting with the Russian command” on Saturday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s „purported frontline visit,” and „the Putin-Lukashenko meeting suggest a new phase in the presentation, planning, and conduct of the war and may presage renewed offensive operations against Ukraine in the coming months.”

The meeting will mark the first time in three years that Putin has traveled to Belarus to meet with Lukashenko. Conversely, the Belarusian strongman has traveled to Russia more than a dozen times in the past two years, most recently in late September.

Today marks Day 299 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Source: Radio Poland, PAP

European Union leaders reached an agreement on Sunday to further cuts in CO2 emissions in a bid to counteract global warming.

Under the new plan, the EU aims to overhaul its carbon market to meet the new goal of reducing emissions by 62% from 2005 levels by the year 2030.

According to reports by Reuters, „the plan involves removing 90 million CO2 permits from the system in 2024” and „27 million in 2026.” The plan would also call for „cutting the rate at which the cap on CO2 permits in the system falls” from a 4.3% drop between 2024-2027 to a 4.4% drop from 2028-2030.

The new rules will still need to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council.

Source: Radio Poland, PAP

Lionel Messi and all of Argentina are celebrating today after a thrilling victory against France yesterday in the World Cup final in Qatar.

Overseen by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak, yesterday’s match came down to penalty kicks after French star forward Kylian Mbappé scored two goals in the second half, matching those of Messi and teammate Ángel Fabián Di María in the first. As a result, the two teams were tied 2-2 heading into 30 minutes extra time.

It looked as though Messi would decisively end the match in favor of Argentina with a goal in the 108th minute, bringing the score to 3-2. Not to be outdone, Mbappé countered with his third goal of the match 10 minutes later, tying the score at 3-3 and forcing the game to be resolved in penalty kicks.

Argentina took the lead after goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez or „Dibu,” deflected a shot by Kingsley Coman in the second set of penalty kicks, and Aurelien Tchouameni sent the ball wide in the third. The Argentines were comparatively flawless in executing their penalties, with Messi, Dybala, Paredes, and Montiel each banking their shots in rapid succession.

The World Cup trophy was the only football accolade Messi had not won, and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was presumably the last chance for the 35-year-old to do so. The trophy now returns to Argentina for the third time in history and the first time in 36 years.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, eurosport.com

Ski jumper Dawid Kubacki took home ski-jumping gold yesterday at the World Cup competition in Engelberg, Switzerland.

The 32-year-old Pole jumped 141.5 and 135.5 meters to capture his ninth career World Cup victory and fourth win this season. Kubacki beat Austria’s Manuel Fettner in second and Slovenia’s Anze Lanisek in third. Fellow Polish teammate Piotr Żyła came in fifth overall on Sunday.

Kubacki tops the overall World Cup standings with 650 points, ahead of Lanisek with 576 points and Austria’s Stefan Kraft with 467. He is currently the top favorite to win the upcoming Four-Hills-Tournament, scheduled to start December 28th in Oberstdorf, Germany.

Source: Radio Poland, fis-ski.com

The past weekend may have seen the coldest weather of the 2022-2023 winter season, with temperatures across almost all of Poland dropping into the negative double digits on Saturday night.

According to Grzegorz Walijewski, spokesman for the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, temperatures from Saturday, December 17 to Sunday, December 18, were set to drop to -20 degrees Celsius (-4°F) in Warmia and Mazury, and -17°C (2°F) in the Suwałki and Białystok region.

Pomorskie saw milder temperature drops of -5 to -7 degrees Celsius (20-23°F), aided by relatively low humidity and less intensive winds in the region.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will start out clear and sunny, with clouds and a strong chance for snow showers set to roll in the afternoon, accompanied by strong winds from the south. Temperatures will stay below freezing, with a high of -1°C, or 31°F, dropping to a low of -8°C or 17°F overnight. Slightly warmer weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for rain, sleet, and snow throughout the week.

Listen:

Elizabeth Peck/MarWer