The Polish prime minister has met with executives at Lockheed Martin, America’s biggest defence contractor, to discuss options around speeding up the delivery of US military equipment to Poland.

Morawiecki told reporters in press briefings yesterday that he would also seek to make Poland “one of the first countries to be equipped with Lockheed Martin’s ‘extreme range’ JASSM precision cruise missiles, the JASSM-XR.”

He also revealed that he had spoken to Lockheed Martin’s executives about potential cooperation under Poland’s new National Ammunition Programme. In late March, the Polish government approved a plan to step up the production of ammunition to support Ukraine’s war effort against the Russian invasion and strengthen Poland’s own defensive potential.

Morawiecki declared at the time that the government would allocate PLN 2 billion (€ 430 million) for the programme „in the immediate future”.

Source: Polskie Radio, PAP

Police were forced to intervene yesterday. Polish farmers attempted to block railway tracks close to the Ukrainian border in the Lublin region yesterday.

The protesters were carrying red and white flags and banners, whilst calling out slogans in condemnation of the EU changes to tariffs along the border with Ukraine.

The police had secured the tracks before the protest even began, so the farmers gathered on a road next to the railway crossing. The road traffic had to be rerouted.

Logistical bottlenecks have kept large quantities of Ukrainian grains, which are cheaper than those produced in the European Union, in Central European states, thereby reducing prices and sales for farmers there who have staged protests.

Protests by European farmers are political and shipments of Ukrainian grain are not reducing the profitability of their business, the Ukrainian food producers’ union UAC said on Wednesday.

The issues stem from millions of tonnes of grain from the 2021 harvest having remained in Ukraine’s silos after its Black Sea ports were closed in the second half of the 2021/22 season. The ports were reopened at the end of July after the United Nations and Turkey brokered a deal between Moscow and Kyiv.

Source: PAP, Reuters

Robert Kubica is back on track. He will race in Portugal this weekend in round 2 of the FIA World Endurance Championships.

This Sunday the second race of the World Endurance Championships will take place at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimao, Portugal. Polish Ex-Formula One driver Robert Kubica now represents the Belgian Team WRT competing in endurance races around the world.

The last round of the current season took place a month ago in Sebring, USA and Kubica along with his two other team drivers finished in 4th position within their classification. This weekend, a total of 37 teams have entered the 6-hour race across all classes, while 12 teams will be fighting for victory in Kubica’s LMP2 class.

The 38-year-old Cracovian ended his Formula One career earlier this year, where he was the test driver for the Alfa Romeo F1 team.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Funding has been officially announced for environmental education. Eco-workshops will be built in 40 Pomeranian schools.

The funds will be provided by the Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management. Recruitment in the program has just been announced by the provincial fund in Gdańsk. According to its president, Szymon Gajda, science and renewable energy laboratories will be located in every district.

The call for applications from primary and secondary schools will continue until April 27th. The budget for Pomeranian Voivodeship is PLN 2.5 million. For a single school – this means tens of thousands of zlotys. Funding is up to 90% of total costs and can be received by two facilities from the same district.

The results will be known on June 5. 760 eco-workshops are to be built all over Poland as a part of the program.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

The Weather

Today will be cloudy with occasional showers, but the rain will clear as we move into the evening. A very light wind may be felt coming in from the north east. Daytime temperatures will see a high of 15°C or 59°F, with expected lows of 6°C or 43°F overnight. Tomorrow’s weather will be similarly mild but sunnier, with only a low chance of rain.

Listen to the broadcast:

Tom Rado/ol