German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that she found it unacceptable that refugees were being used to apply pressure to Poland and other European Union members on the border with Belarus. Speaking at a news conference during what she said she expected to be her last official visit to Poland …
Read More »Poland declares state of emergency on Belarus border amid migrant surge
Poland declared a state of emergency in two regions bordering Belarus on Thursday following a surge of illegal migration that Warsaw has blamed on its neighbour. Poland and the European Union have accused Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of encouraging hundreds of migrants to cross into Polish territory to put pressure …
Read More »Interfaith coalition asks Poland to help migrants stuck at border
An interfaith coalition called on Polish authorities Tuesday to give humanitarian aid to a group of migrants who have been stuck in the open air at Poland’s border with Belarus for more than three weeks. The coalition, which includes Christian, Jewish and Muslim representatives, noted that the people stuck at …
Read More »EU rights court calls on Poland, Latvia to aid migrants on Belarus border
The European Court of Human Rights asked the Polish and Latvian governments on Wednesday to intervene to help migrants camped on the Belarus border. The fate of the migrants has become part of a broader dispute between the European Union and Belarus and groups such as Polish refugee charity Ocalenie …
Read More »Poland to build fence, double troop numbers on Belarus border
Poland will build a fence along its border with Belarus and double the number of troops there, the defense minister said on Monday, to halt a flow of migrants the European Union says is being driven by Minsk in retaliation for EU sanctions. Poland and fellow EU states Lithuania and …
Read More »Poland recalls envoy to Israel amid spat over Holocaust restitution law
Poland has recalled its ambassador to the Israeli-occupied territories two days after Tel Aviv did the same, amid a row over a Polish law restricting World War II-era property restitution claims. In a statement released on Monday, Poland’s Foreign Ministry said that its envoy, Marek Magierowski, who is in his …
Read More »Poland to make changes to controversial Disciplinary Chamber for judges
Poland is to introduce changes to its controversial disciplinary chamber for judges, the head of the ruling party announced on Saturday. “We will abolish the Disciplinary Chamber (of the Supreme Court) in the form in which it currently operates and the subject of the dispute (with the EU) will thus …
Read More »Ukraine holds military drills with US, Poland, Lithuania
Helicopters provided air support, armoured personnel carriers rolled through fields, and soldiers fired at enemy targets on Tuesday as part of a large military exercise hosted by Ukraine and also involving the United States, Poland, and Lithuania. The drills, called Three Swords-2021, will involve more than 1,200 servicemen and more …
Read More »Ukraine to hold land military drills with US, Poland, Lithuania
Ukraine, the US, Poland, and Lithuania will hold a large military exercise in the western part of Ukraine later in July, the Ukrainian military said on Monday, the second round of war games involving Kyiv and foreign partners in a month. The drill, Three Swords-2021, will involve more than 1,200 …
Read More »Hackers breached several MPs’ email accounts, Poland says
The email accounts of about a dozen members of parliament were hacked recently, Polish counter-intelligence said on Friday, disclosing further details of one of the biggest cyberattacks on the country in recent years. The revelations come two weeks after the authorities said top Polish government officials had been hit by …
Read More »Poland withdrawing troops from Afghanistan end of June: President
Poland will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan at the end of June, President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday, bringing its two-decade presence in the country to an end.
Read More »Polish deputy speaker under fire over comments on Belarus opposition leader
A deputy Polish parliamentary speaker faced calls for his dismissal on Saturday after criticising Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya for meeting Warsaw’s liberal mayor. Tsikhanouskaya met Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, a member of Poland’s biggest opposition party, during a visit to Warsaw this week which she used to call for increased …
Read More »Poland to become first NATO country to buy Turkish drones
Poland will buy 24 armed drones from Turkey, the Polish defense minister said on Saturday, becoming the first NATO member to buy Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Bayraktar TB2 drones, the first of which are due to be delivered next year, will be armed with anti-tank projectiles. Poland will …
Read More »Hundreds gather in Prague, Warsaw to support Belarus protesters
Crowds gathered in Prague and Warsaw on Sunday to show their support for protesters in Belarus who are demanding President Alexander Lukashenko step down after what they say was his fraudulent re-election a week ago. A large white and red Belarusian flag was placed at the centre of a heart …
Read More »Pompeo inks deal for US troop move from Germany to Poland
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday sealed a defense cooperation deal with Polish officials that will pave the way for the redeployment of American troops from Germany to Poland. In Warsaw at the end of a four-nation tour of central and Eastern Europe, Pompeo and Polish Defense Minister …
Read More »US to have permanent military presence in Poland as defense pact agreed
The United States and Poland have agreed for the US to deploy at least 1,000 additional American troops and have a permanent military presence in the European country. The agreement, which was announced by Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak on Friday, would probably arouse Russia’s indignation against the backdrop of …
Read More »EU reaches ‘historic’ deal on post-pandemic recovery after marathon summit
European Union leaders reached an “historic” deal on a massive stimulus plan for their coronavirus-hit economies at a pre-dawn meeting on Tuesday after a fractious summit that lasted almost five days. Summit chairman Charles Michel tweeted “Deal” shortly after the 27 leaders finally reached agreement at a 5.15 a.m. (0315 …
Read More »Duda wins Poland presidential election in boost for planned judicial reforms
Poland’s incumbent Andrzej Duda has narrowly won the presidential election, paving the way for the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party to push ahead with its controversial judicial reforms at the parliament. Local officials said the bomb attack was carried out in the provincial capital Aybak close to an office …
Read More »A divided Poland holds presidential vote delayed by pandemic
Poles voted in a presidential election Sunday that was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and was taking place amid deep cultural and political divisions in the European Union nation. President Andrzej Duda, a 48-year-old conservative backed by the nationalist ruling Law and Justice party, was running against 10 other candidates …
Read More »Polish parliament passes presidential election bill, date still to be fixed
Poland’s parliament approved on Tuesday legislation allowing a delayed presidential election to go ahead using a mixture of postal and traditional voting, though the speaker of the lower chamber has still to announce a date for the ballot. The ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) had tried to hold the …
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