Russian President Vladimir Putin has countered European criticism of a 1939 Soviet pact with Nazi Germany this week, saying that Western powers colluded with Adolf Hitler which paved the way for World War 2. Speaking at a meeting with Russia’s top military brass, Putin described a recent European Parliament resolution that blamed the 1939 nonaggression pact for the war’s outbreak days later as “sheer nonsense”. Two weeks after Germany invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland. Adolf Hitler and Soviet dictator Josef Stalin carved up Poland and the Baltic states based on a secret protocol in the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact they had signed. However, Putin cast the Molotov-Ribbentrop treaty as a move the Soviet Union was forced into following nonaggression agreements some other European nations had signed with Hitler and cited a 1938 agreement reached by Germany, Britain, France and Italy that allowed Hitler to annex Czechoslovakia as an example of Western leaders’ alleged “collusion” with Hitler. The Russian leader focused his criticism on Poland, citing archive documents that he claimed had the Polish ambassador to Berlin praising Hitler’s plans to rid Europe of Jews.

World War II evokes painful memories in Russia, which lost an estimated 27 million people in the war.

The Kremlin is anxious to see Soviet sacrifices and the nation’s role in defeating the Nazis duly recognized as it prepares to mark the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in May.

Poles encouraged to Donate Left Over Food to Homeless

Poles have been encouraged to donate food they do not consume during the Christmas holidays as part of a drive to help the homeless. The „Share a Meal with the Homeless” campaign began on the afternoon of Christmas Day and runs until Saturday in some 60 cities and towns across the country. As part of the campaign, volunteers have been coming to people’s homes to pick up food left over after Christmas and taking it to soup kitchens and eateries for the poor and homeless. The Share a Meal with the Homeless campaign is held twice a year, at Christmas and Easter, and has drawn increasing interest from the public since it was launched in 2015.

Five fire deaths in Poland over Christmas

Five people have been killed and 22 others injured as a result of fires in Poland amid chilly temperatures over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to the state fire service, and a total of 416 fires were recorded nationwide on Tuesday and Wednesday. Four people died in two house fires in Warsaw while one person has lost their life in a blaze in an empty building in a village in Poland’s southern Silesia province. According to the first service, residential building fires in Poland are usually due to faulty or mishandled heating equipment. Meanwhile, 14 people have been killed and 270 injured in road accidents and other emergencies over the same period. In all, firefighters were called out 1622 times on Christmas Eve and Christmas.

International Awards For Liveable Communities 2019

And finally, Gdynia has won third place in the LivCom Awards competition, an international ranking that has been running every year since 1997 and which focuses on the quality of life in cities. Gdynia won third place in the category of cities from 150,000 to 400,000 inhabitants. First place was won by the Xicheng District of Beijing in China, and the second place went to Bergen in Norway.

Weather

Today is going to cloudy with sunny intervals interspersed with sleet showers and a moderate breeze. Temperatures will reach 4 degrees centigrade (39 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and dropping to 1 degree overnight. Saturday will cloud over and see chances of rain. Temperatures will remain cold at around 2 degrees centigrade.

What’s On – Friday

What’s going on this weekend in the Tricity

• If you find yourself near the pier in Brzeżno late afternoon on Friday and Saturday you might want to grab yourself a beer or a coffee and a delicious slice of hot szarlotka and enjoy some sea shanties! Waldek Raczkowski a professional guitarist and vocalist brings his guitar and a few nautical songs with him every Friday and Saturday at 6pm to while away the cold, dark winter’s evenings.

• Park run Gdansk, Reagan Park – Sat 9AM

Next up, if you’re keen to get out in the fresh air and may be lose some of the kilos you’ve added over the festive period, we have Parkrun Gdańsk which is a free fun run that takes place every Saturday at 9.00 in Ronald Reagan Park in Przymorze. The race is held over 5 km and is intended for all runners, both amateurs and professionals, regardless of their level of advancement or age. The run in Ronald Reagan park is particularly popular and is a great place to take part in this fun event. After the runs are done, participants meet over tea or coffee in a nearby cafe.

• And finally, for today there’s the Illuminations in Oliwa Park which are going on throughout the festive season every day between 4pm and 10pm. Oliwa Park is one of the nicest, most peaceful and relaxing places in the entire Tri-City and a walk around the gardens is thoroughly recommended to get away from the drudgery of an everyday life. During the winter the gardens are illuminated with thousands of Christmas lights which turn the park into a magical kingdom.