Polish President Andrzej Duda and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were in Lutsk, Ukraine, yesterday to attend an ecumenical service commemorating victims of the WWII-era Volhynia massacre.

Zelensky is reportedly scheduled to be the main speaker at the NATO summit tomorrow in Vilnius, with the ongoing war in Ukraine dominating the current agenda. The meeting appears to be focused on projecting an image of NATO unity and sending a message of deterrence to Russia that its ongoing aggression will not succeed.

Over the weekend, Zelensky told reporters he was hoping for the “best possible result” from the Vilnius summit, including “clear security guarantees” for Ukraine until it is a NATO member and, ideally, a formal invitation to join the Alliance.

In an interview on Sunday with CNN, US President Joe Biden said it was “premature” to discuss NATO membership while Ukraine was still actively at war and there were “other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization.”

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Polskie Radio, dw.com, nytimes.com

The Polish government has presented the final concept design for a proposed “mega air hub” near Warsaw (CPK), prepared by a consortium of British firms.

The EUR 150 million concept design by British firms Foster + Partners and Buro Happold showcases the mega-airport’s key facilities, including a passenger terminal, a railway station, and a public transport interchange.
The vision for the mega transport hub includes a landside interchange plaza enriched by greenery and natural light.
Dubbed the “Solidarity Transport Hub,” the CPK air hub is slated to be built near Warsaw by 2027.

Source: Polskie Radio

Polish tennis star Iga Świątek has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon tennis tournament after winning a grueling three-hour match against Belinda Bencic last night.

Despite dropping the first set, Świątek saved two match points to eventually triumph over Bencic 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-3. The win propels Świątek to her first quarterfinals appearance at Wimbledon.
Świątek will next face Elina Svitolina of Ukraine for a place in the semifinals. Svitolina also came from behind yesterday to defeat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(9) after a thrilling final-set tiebreak.

The match between Svitolina and Świątek is set for Tuesday.

In the men’s competition, 17th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz held his own last night against 2nd-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia, delivering a “ferocious barrage of aces” against the four-time Wimbledon champ. According to Reuters, one of Hurkacz’s 23 aces clocked at 141 miles or 226 km per hour, giving him “the fastest serve of the tournament so far.”

Yesterday’s match was suspended due to the tournament’s 11 pm curfew, with Djokovic up by two sets and expected to “finish the job” on Monday.

Source: Polskie Radio, wtatennis.com, Reuters, atptour.com

Several swimming areas in Pomerania are currently closed due to cyanobacteria blooms, including three beaches in Gdynia and two in the district of Nowy Dwór.

According to the official website of the health and sanitary inspector (GIS), the swimming areas and beaches of Babie Doły, Śródmieście and Redłowo in Gdynia, and the Jantar and Kąty Rybackie beaches in Nowy Dwór are currently closed due to the presence of blue-green algae in the water.

Cyanobacteria appear as a blanket on the surface of calm salt or fresh water, looking like spilled paint, flakes, or jelly. Blooms of cyanobacteria are common in summer and can cause a range of adverse reactions for swimmers, including skin rashes, eye irritation, and gastrointestinal problems if the water is ingested.
Before going swimming, members of the public are advised to check for up-to-date water quality on the GIS website: https://sk.gis.gov.pl/index.php/kapieliska/mapa.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be partly cloudy, with a chance for rain later in the day and a slight breeze coming from the northeast. Temperatures will be similar to yesterday, with a daytime high of 22°C or 71°F, dropping to a low of 15°C or 59°F overnight. Slightly cooler weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for more rain heading into Wednesday.

Elizabeth Peck