Farmers Suspend Protest at Polish-Ukrainian Border
Polish farmers protesting at the border with Ukraine have announced that they will suspend their blockade at the Medyka checkpoint from today until January 2nd. The decision was made after Poland’s government agreed to their demands.
The agreement was reached after talks were held between the demonstrators and Minister of Agriculture Czesław Siekierski, which stipulated state-backed loans due to the influx of Ukrainian grain, banning the import of sugar, and for the farm tax to be kept unchanged.
Siekierski, after agreeing to the terms, said that they would “take time” however the farmers stated they are suspending the protest in anticipation of a written pledge from the prime minister, and that if their demands are fulfilled in the 2024 budget, they will end their protest.
At other crossings Polish Haulers are continuing their blockade, with Poland’s Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak announcing on Saturday that Kyiv was willing to renegotiate the visa-free transport regulations with the EU.
Source: rp.pl, Kyiv Post
Taiwan Pledges USD 1 Million to Help Support Ukrainian Refugees in Poland
The Taiwanese Government in Taipei announced that they will provide USD 1 million to Polish cities in order to assist Ukrainian refugees escaping Russia’s invasion. Tadeusz Truskolaski, CEO of the Alliance of Polish Metropolises and Mayor of Białystok, signed the agreement with Taiwan’s Ambassador to Poland Wu Shangnian on Wednesday.
The funds will go towards improving living conditions for Ukrainian refugees, education of Ukrainian children, and help in preparing them for their eventual return to Ukraine.
Source: UMP, UHCR, The Kyiv Independent, Radio Poland
EC Proposal to Downgrade Protection Status of Wolves Criticized
The European Commission recently submitted a proposal to downgrade the protection status of Wolves from “strictly protected” to “protected,” under the Bern Convention. Environmentalists have raised concerns that it could potentially undermine the recovery of the EU’s wolf population by granting more leeway to permit the culling of the animals.
A recent survey of ten thousand EU citizens in ten member states revealed a decent majority favored maintaining the wolves’ current protection status. There have been no fatal wolf attacks on humans in Europe during the 21st century, and scientists do not consider them a serious danger, but about EUR 8 million is paid out to European farmers annually in compensation for killed livestock.
Source: Eurogroup for Animals, Rewilding Europe
Christmas Eve Dinner Held for the Homeless in Gdańsk
Yesterday, Gdańsk held its 33rd annual Christmas Eve dinner for the homeless at the Great Armory, with hundreds of participants taking part in the event. The dinner took place at noon with food served by volunteers from restaurants and hotels, and was attended by the Mayor of Gdańsk, her deputies, and the City Council.
Source: DziennikBaltycki
Weather
Today’s weather will be overcast all day with temperatures staying above freezing at 4 to 8 degrees Celsius or 39 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, however, there will also be strong winds all day with gusts up to 83 kph.
Bryce Buren/jk
