Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that “tyranny is outpacing democracy” and urged the world to act with “resolve and speed” to help restore “security and peace in Ukraine.”
Zelensky made the comments during a live video broadcast to attendees of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. First Lady Olena Zelenska and some of Ukraine’s closest allies, including Polish President Andrzej Duda and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, attended the speech in Davos.
“The supply of Ukraine with air defense systems must outpace Russia’s next missile attacks. The supply of Western tanks must outpace another invasion of Russian tanks. The restoration of security and peace in Ukraine must outpace Russia’s attacks on security and peace in other countries,” Zelensky urged.
Zelensky’s comments came ahead of tomorrow’s scheduled meeting of Western allies at the Ramstein air base in Germany. According to Reuters, the focus of Friday’s meeting will be on whether Berlin will allow its Leopard tanks to be supplied to Ukraine to help drive out Russian troops.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has previously resisted calls to provide Ukraine with the advanced Leopard 2 battle tanks despite continued pressure from Poland and other NATO allies.
Source: Radio Poland
A deadly helicopter crash near Kyiv yesterday killed seventeen people, including a number of children and several high-ranking Ukrainian officials.
The helicopter crashed near a kindergarten and a residential building in Brovary, northeast of the Ukrainian capital, according to news reports. The State Emergency Service put the death toll at 17, including three helicopter crew, six passengers, and a number of people on the ground, including four children.
Ukraine’s national police chief reported that Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky had been killed along with his first deputy, Yevhen Yenin, and another senior ministry official.
According to Reuters, Ukraine’s SBU State Security Service said it was considering several possible causes for the crash, including a breach of flight rules, a technical malfunction, and the intentional destruction of the helicopter.
Source: Radio Poland, Reuters
The book “Gdynia: The Promised Land” and author Grzegorz Piątek have been named among the winners of the 2023 Passport Awards, a prestigious accolade for Polish artists and cultural creators.
The book, subtitled “City, modernism, modernization 1920-1939,” details both the positive and negative aspects present in the creation of the port of Gdynia during the interwar period.
Filmmaker Jan Holoubek, who directed the acclaimed Netflix series “High Water,” received the 2023 Passport Award in the film category. The series is based on the real-life story of a devastating flood that swept southwestern Poland in 1997.
The 2023 Passport Awards also recognized outstanding achievements in theatre, pop music, classical music, visual arts, and digital culture, with a full list of winners available on the website of “Polityka” magazine.
Source: Radio Poland, polityka.pl
Volunteers are busy collecting money for medical equipment as part of the annual Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity fundraising event set for later this month.
Since its launch in 1992, the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP) has collected over PLN 1.75 billion (EUR 370 million) in donations and bought nearly 70,000 medical devices, with the money going to support hospitals for children and the elderly.
This year, for the first time in the fundraiser’s history, the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity foundation plans to purchase medical equipment for all patients in need, regardless of age.
Online fundraisers and auctions were also launched in December as part of the campaign, and celebrities, sports stars, and Polish institutions have reportedly donated items for auction.
The traditional “Wielki Finał” of the fundraising event will be held on January 29. Volunteers equipped with the charity’s signature boxes and heart-shaped stickers have already begun collecting donations in cities and towns across Poland.
Source: Radio Poland, wosp.org
Iga Świątek, Hubert Hurkacz, and Magda Linette have all advanced to the third round of the singles competitions of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Świątek, who is currently ranked world No. 1 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), easily defeated Colombia’s Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-3 in yesterday’s match.
Fellow countryman Hubert Hurkacz also advanced to the third round of the tournament after a hard-fought six sets against Lorenzo Sonego of Italy. He was joined by Magda Linette, who defeated 16th-ranked Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-2, 6-3 early this morning.
Świątek will face Cristina Bucșa of Spain Friday morning at 5:00 CET, followed by Hurkacz against Denis Shapovalov of Canada at 9:00 CET. Linette’s match against world No. 21 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia is also set for Friday.
Source: Radio Poland, ausopen.com
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy and cold, with only a slight chance of rain showers and a light breeze coming in from the south. Temperatures will peak around a high of 2°C or 36°F, dropping to below freezing at -4°C, or 25°F overnight. Slightly colder temperatures are expected tomorrow, with a chance for some rain or snow over the weekend.
Elizabeth Peck/am
