The US State Department has welcomed Poland’s “steps to continue to support Ukraine” following Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s visit to Kyiv earlier this week.

During their meeting, Tusk and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outlined a new phase of defense cooperation, with Tusk declaring that “Poland will do everything to boost Ukraine’s chances of winning the war with Russia,” including financing weapons purchases for Kyiv.

State Department officials praised the move as “important” because it showed that not only America but also other countries had taken “intense steps over the past two years to support our Ukrainian partners.”

The official went on to push the US Congress to “act as swiftly as possible” to approve President Joe Biden’s USD 61 billion package of further military support for Ukraine.

Source: Radio Poland

The Polish Army said it scrambled its own jets along with NATO aircraft on Tuesday morning due to “heightened activity” by the Russian air force.

The Operational Command in Warsaw said it had observed “intense activity by the long-range aircraft of the Russian Federation,” linked to an “intention to carry out strikes on the territory of Ukraine.”

Poland’s military said it had taken all necessary steps to protect the country’s airspace and was monitoring the situation “on a continuous basis.”

Overnight on Monday, Russia carried out another massive missile attack on Ukraine, striking the capital, Kyiv, and the second-largest city of Kharkiv. According to authorities from the Kharkhiv region, at least five people were killed and more than 50 people injured in the shelling.

Over the past month, Poland has activated its air defenses on several occasions in connection with Russia’s air attacks on Ukraine, one of which resulted in a Russian rocket temporarily entering Polish airspace on December 29.

Today is day 700 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Source: Radio Poland

The Court of Appeals in Gdańsk has upheld the life sentence of Stefan Wilmont, who was convicted of murdering former Gdańsk mayor Paweł Adamowicz during a charity event on January 13, 2019.

The appeals court upheld the judgment of the District Court in Gdańsk, sentencing Wilmont to life imprisonment with the possibility of applying for conditional early release after 40 years.

In its ruling, the Court of Appeals in Gdańsk rejected claims by Wilmont’s defense lawyers that their client demonstrated limited sanity. The court also changed the justification for the verdict, declaring that Paweł Adamowicz was not an accidental victim.

The victim’s brother, Piotr Adamowicz, told Radio Gdańsk reporters he was satisfied with the strict sentence and glad the court had ruled that Wilmont’s targeting of Mayor Adamowicz was not accidental.

Wilmont’s defense attorneys claimed they had expected such a verdict and announced they would seek additional measures on behalf of their client.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Drivers are being warned of potential traffic delays around Pomerania today due to organized protests by local farmers in the region.

According to Wiesław Burzyński, president of the Pomeranian Chamber of Agriculture, farmers across the EU are seeking to pressure the European Commission regarding the inflow of agri-food products from Ukraine and aspects of the European Green Deal.

Thousands of farmers are expected to take part in a peaceful “picket-like” action in several cities across Pomerania from 10:00 to 14:00 CET today. A list of potentially affected areas is available HERE.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz reached the final eight of the Australian Open before losing to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in a grueling four-hour match early this morning.

The world No. 9-ranked Hurkacz made a valiant effort to defeat world No. 3 Medvedev, ultimately losing 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in the last game of a hard-fought five sets.

Despite his defeat, Hubi’s performance marks a high point in his career, as it is the first time Hurkacz has reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

The 2024 Australian Open is set to finish on January 28.

Source: Radio Poland, atptour.com

Weather

Today will be mostly overcast and cold, with a good chance of rain throughout the day and strong winds from the west. Temperatures will be slightly warmer than yesterday, with a high of 8°C, or 46°F, and a low of 1°C or 34°F overnight. Colder, drier weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for rain or snow into the weekend.

Elizabeth Peck