The war in Ukraine dominated discussions at the Munich Security Conference, a gathering of global leaders in Germany ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
The three-day global gathering in the Bavarian capital attracted numerous senior Western officials, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, US Vice President Kamala Harris, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki were also in attendance, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking via video link at the event’s opening ceremony.
Among other topics, European Union officials extensively discussed the joint purchase of ammunition for Ukraine, with Morawiecki claiming that half of the EU countries had already agreed to the proposal.
During a press conference, Morawiecki emphasized the need to make partners “in Western Europe” and “across the ocean” aware of the importance of stopping Russian aggression by building “an appropriate deterrent force. If you want peace, prepare for war.”
According to reports in Reuters, EU foreign ministers are expected to continue discussions on an Estonian proposal for the joint procurement of ammunition at a meeting in Brussels on Monday.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Polskie Radio
Nearly 130,000 homes in Pomerania lost power, and firefighters intervened almost 1,700 times as hurricane-force winds pounded the region yesterday.
Weather forecasters on Friday issued 2nd and 3rd-degree warnings against strong winds in the region, which remained in effect until 13:00 on Saturday. During that time, wind speeds up to 125 km or over 75 miles per hour were reported in parts of northern Pomerania.
From Friday to Saturday, local firefighters were called out nearly 1,700 times to deal with storm-related issues, typically fallen trees and branches, as well as debris from building facades and roofs. Only one person was reportedly injured in the region during the windstorm–a driver of a car that crashed into a downed tree on a road near Tczew.
While winds died down late yesterday, as of 19:35 Saturday there were still 10,700 houses without electricity in the Gdańsk power supply area, with damage reported to 477 transformer stations.
Winds are expected to be calmer today, but strong winds and rain are again in the forecast for Monday.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Polish tennis phenom Iga Świątek clinched her first title of the year after a decisive victory at the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on Saturday.
The top-ranked female tennis player in the world sailed past world No.4 Jessica Pegula of the United States in yesterday’s final, winning two straight sets (6-3 6-0) in just 69 minutes.
The win marked a successful defense of Świątek’s Qatar Open title from last year and her 12th career singles title.
Swiątek now leads the world rankings with 10,485 points, ahead of Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka with 6,100 points and Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur with 5,210. Pegula ranks fourth, with 5,000 points.
Source: Polskie Radio
Trefl Sopot defeated Anwil Włocławek in double overtime yesterday to advance to the finals of the 2023 Suzuki Polish Basketball Cup.
The thrilling match ended with a final score of 93:91 (15:19, 17:15, 20:16, 14:16) after the first overtime ended in a 12:12 draw, with Trefl managing to pull ahead to win the second overtime 15:13.
The Sopot team will now face off in the final against Polski Cukier Start Lublin at 18:00 today in Lublin.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will start out cloudy before clearing off midday, with a chance for rain or snow in the late evening and a light breeze coming in from the northwest. Temperatures will be similar to yesterday, with a high of 6°C or 42°F dropping to a low of 2°C, or 35°F overnight. Slightly warmer temperatures are expected for tomorrow, with a chance for rain throughout the day and winds picking up in the afternoon.
Listen to the broadcast:
Elizabeth Peck/ol
