Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to make a surprise visit to the United States today, coinciding with the announcement of a new aid package for Ukraine.
According to officials, US President Joe Biden plans to use the occasion of Zelensky’s visit to announce an additional USD 1.8 billion military aid package for Ukraine, including a battery of Patriot anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems.
In addition to the meeting with President Biden, Zelensky is also set to deliver a live speech in front of a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday evening local time.
Wednesday’s visit will be Zelensky’s first trip abroad since Russia’s invasion in February and his second wartime address to a joint session of the US Congress following his virtual address last March.
Wednesday is day 301 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, PAP
Polish residents have been encouraged to join a worldwide initiative to switch off all festive lights and displays for an hour this evening to demonstrate solidarity with Ukraine.
Senior Polish parliamentarian Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka, currently deputy Speaker of the Polish Senate, made the appeal in an interview with public broadcaster Polish Radio on Tuesday.
According to Ms. Morawska-Stanecka, cities in several countries, including the UK, Czech Republic, and Germany, have already joined the initiative, dubbed “An Hour for Ukraine.”
Morawska-Stanecka told reporters that the “Hour for Ukraine” initiative is about “people in all cities switching off Christmas lights and displays for an hour, starting at 8 pm on December 21, the darkest day of the year, and thus paying tribute to those who won’t have electricity this Christmas.”
Major UK landmarks such as Trafalgar Square in London and the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, along with locations in Paris, New York, and Sydney, have all announced plans to switch off their festive lights for an hour starting at 20:00 local time on December 21.
Source: Radio Poland, Reuters
Local blood banks in Trójmiasto are asking for donors after the post-pandemic lull left them potentially short of critical blood supplies.
According to officials from the Regional Blood Donation and Treatment Center in Gdańsk, blood banks are concerned about their supplies of O-negative (0 RhD-) blood, the so-called “universal blood donor.”
Although the O-negative blood type is essential for hospitals and other emergency care facilities, it is one of the rarer blood types, according to the Red Cross. An estimated 7% of the population in Poland has this blood type, while nearly two-thirds are either O-positive or A-positive.
Local blood banks currently have adequate blood stores for potential patients, but officials emphasize that having more stores of RhD-negative blood is always better. Blood from the AB RhD+ group is not currently being collected.
Eligible donors are encouraged to donate blood or plasma at the Regional Center for Blood Donation and Blood Treatment in Gdańsk or any one of its field branches in Kościerzyna, Kartuzy, Gdynia-Redłowo, Wejherowo, Kwidzyn, or Starogard Gdański.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Local commuters have a reason to celebrate early, as the “Kashubian Route” expressway connecting Gdynia and Bożepole Wielki opens today.
The 42-kilometer (26-mile) express route will reportedly shorten commuting time between the two towns by a magnitude of three, potentially reducing a journey of over an hour to “little over half an hour.”
The expressway will provide a vital new link to the west of the Pomeranian Voivodeship through relatively undeveloped terrain, says Piotr Michalski from the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways in Gdańsk (GDDKiA).
The construction of the expressway took three years and cost over PLN 2 billion (EUR 428 million) to finish. The route will have seven junctions along the way, in Gdynia Wielki Kack, Chwaszczyno, Koleczkowo, Szemud, Luzino, Strzebielino, and Bożepole Wielkie.
Today’s opening operation will take up to three hours, as roadways will be opened consecutively rather than concurrently. GDDKiA officials have appealed to drivers to pay attention to posted traffic signs rather than GPS navigation and have also assured drivers that there should be no lane restrictions or speed reductions once the expressway is up and running.
Source: Radio Gdansk
Weather
Today will be cold and wet, with clouds and a strong chance for rain throughout the day, accompanied by a light breeze from the southwest. Temperatures will be similar to yesterday, with a high of 4°C, or 39°F, dropping to a low of 2°C or 36°F overnight. Cold, wet weather is expected to continue through the day tomorrow, with a chance for a break in the clouds Thursday evening into Friday morning.
Elizabeth Peck
