Germany’s Bundeswehr army has begun transferring Patriot air defense systems to Poland, with the weaponry reportedly set to arrive in a matter of days.
The first batch of German soldiers was set to depart for Poland on Monday from the northeastern town of Bad Sülze, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The government in Berlin previously promised to provide Poland with three Patriot batteries “to ensure the protection of critical infrastructure of a NATO ally” on the border with Ukraine, according to Germany’s DPA press agency.
Germany is also poised to deliver a Patriot battery to Ukraine to help it defend itself against ongoing Russian missile and drone strikes, according to officials.
Recent strikes on an apartment building in Dnipro, in eastern Ukraine, killed 40 civilians and wounded dozens more, with aid workers still searching for survivors. Attacks elsewhere in Ukraine, including the cities of Kharkiv, Lviv, and the capital of Kyiv, threaten to shut down energy providers, a collapse that Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko told reporters yesterday CNN “could happen any second.”
During a speech at a ceremony yesterday in Berlin, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki urged the German government “to act decisively by supplying all kinds of weapons to Ukraine” to help the country defend itself.
Morawiecki previously said he would “talk to German politicians of various persuasions about sending tanks to Ukraine” as Germany must consent before Poland can transfer German-made Leopard 2 tanks to the war-torn country.
Source: Radio Poland, Reuters
The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum kicked off yesterday in Davos, Switzerland, with Polish President Andrzej Duda and a host of other world leaders set to attend.
According to foreign policy aide Marcin Przydacz, Duda will give “a number of speeches” at the forum and participate in panel discussions alongside NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and “partners from the US and Canada,” among other countries.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and the Presidents of Lithuania, Latvia, and Moldova are among those attending the annual gathering of global political and business leaders,
Discussion at the forum will focus on various challenges, including security and post-pandemic recovery, as part of this year’s theme of “Cooperation in a fragmented world.”
The “consequences of the war in Ukraine for the developed world as well as developing countries” will be a significant focus of the event, according to Przydacz, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky set to deliver a virtual address during the week.
Russia will not be represented at this year’s forum, which runs until Friday, January 20.
Source: Radio Poland, euronews.com
Iga Świątek has made it through to the second round of the women’s singles competition at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne.
The 21-year-old Pole opened her 2023 Australian Open campaign with a hard-fought win (6-5, 7-5) over Jule Niemeier of Germany in their first-round clash on Monday.
Świątek, who is coached by countryman Tomasz Wiktorowski, reached the semifinals of the women’s singles at last year’s Australian Open before being knocked out by Danielle Collins of the US.
Świątek will face Colombia’s Camila Osorio tomorrow at Melbourne Park, while fellow countryman Hubert Hurkacz will face Lorenzo Sonego of Italy for a chance to advance to the third round of the tournament.
Source: Radio Poland, ausopen.com
Local officials are encouraging residents of Pomerania to take advantage of the Polish Tourist Voucher available to families who qualify for the “Familly 500 plus” program.
According to Krzysztof Cieszyński, regional press officer for ZUS in Pomerania, the PLN 500 vouchers (PLN 1,000 in the case of a child with a certified disability) can be used to pay for hotel services and tourist events in Poland as well as one-day trips with attractions, such as a guided tour.
The voucher can be activated at any time by providing contact details – an email address and mobile phone number – via the ZUS Electronic Services Platform (PUE ZUS), even days before the planned holiday.
More than 40,000 eligible vouchers have yet to be redeemed in Pomerania, says Krzysztof, while over 100,000 (106,000) haven’t been fully utilized. The deadline for using the voucher is March 31, 2023.
Voucher payments are accepted by tourist entities registered with the Polish Tourist Organization. Currently, there are over six thousand registered tourist entities in Pomerania and over 28,000 across Poland.
Links to the full list of providers are available on the Radio Gdańsk website at: https://radiogdansk.pl/wiadomosci/region/trojmiasto/2023/01/16/ferie-okazja-do-wykorzystania-polskiego-bonu-turystycznego-jego-uzycie-jest-bardzo-proste/
Source: Radio Poland, Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy and cold with very little chance of rain showers and a strong breeze coming in from the south. Temperatures will hover around 4°C or 40°F, dropping to below freezing, at -1°C, or 30°F overnight. Even colder temperatures are expected tomorrow, with a chance for rain or snow showers later in the afternoon.
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Elizabeth Peck
