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The Ministry of the Interior and Administration said the planned changes would end what it called “automatism” in granting Polish citizenship and replace it with a model based on a foreigner’s real connection to Polish society, culture and the state. Under the proposal, foreigners seeking Polish citizenship would have to meet stricter conditions. The ministry said the aim was to avoid “the mistakes made in the past by other countries handing out citizenships.” One of the main changes would extend the required period of legal residence to eight years. This would include three years of temporary residence followed by five...

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Russia was seeking to draw Belarus deeper into its war in Ukraine and was weighing plans to attack Ukraine's north or a NATO country from Belarusian territory. "We continue to document Russia's attempts to draw Belarus deeper into the war against Ukraine," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app after meeting military and intelligence officials. He said Ukraine knew of additional contacts between Russia and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to persuade him to join "new Russian aggressive operations". "Russia is considering plans for operations to the south and north of Belarusian territory –...

Pete Hegseth’s last-minute decision to cancel the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland caught Pentagon staff and European allies by surprise — the latest example of an abrupt personnel move from the Defense secretary that blindsided both sides of the Atlantic. It wasn’t clear exactly why Hegseth issued the order, according to three defense officials familiar with the matter. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed anger and frustration with European allies for their failure to help with the Iran war, although Trump has labeled Poland a “model ally” for its high defense spending. The decision was even more surprising because...

President Donald Trump said Friday night that the United States military could decide to relocate the troops that are currently stationed in Germany and move them to Poland. The president touted his friendship with the country's leader, President Karol Nawrocki, who assumed office last year. The Pentagon previously indicated that the U.S. would move 5,000 troops from Germany in the next six to 12 months. “Well, Poland would like that," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We have a great relationship with Poland. I have a great relationship with the president. I endorsed him, and he won. He came...

As we mark the 81st anniversary of the end of the second world war in Europe this Friday, 8 May, it’s clear that Germany will again be the leading European military power. Already next year its defense spending will be as much as that of France and Britain combined — and it is projected to be significantly larger by 2030. The German government’s declared goal is to have the strongest conventional army in Europe. True, France and Britain have nuclear weapons, but that means less money to spend on the rest of defense. So, the question is not “will this...

Nato is “disintegrating”, Poland’s prime minister has said after the United States announced it was withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany. Donald Tusk made the dire assessment of the Western alliance on Saturday amid an escalating war of words between Donald Trump and Germany over Berlin’s criticism of the war on Iran. In a post on X on Saturday, Mr Tusk wrote: “The greatest threat to the transatlantic community are not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance. We must all do what it takes to reverse this disastrous trend.” On Friday evening, the US department of defence...

President Trump announced Friday he would soon raise tariffs to 25% on vehicles imported from the European Union, claiming the bloc was non-compliant with its US trade deal. “I am pleased to announce that, based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal, next week I will be increasing Tariffs charged to the European Union for Cars and Trucks coming into the United States,” he said in a post to Truth Social. Companies that build vehicles in the United States will be exempt from the tariff, he added. “Many Automobile and Truck...

A Kanye West concert in Poland has been cancelled following government pressure and condemnation over a string of antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi comments by the US rapper, the BBC reported on Friday. West, who now goes by the name Ye, was scheduled to appear at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów on June 19, his first performance in Poland for 15 years, but the venue said on Friday it would now not take place "due to formal and legal reasons". Marta Cienkowska, Poland's culture and heritage minister, had described the decision to book West as "unacceptable". West has faced repeated backlash...

They are now the safest country in Europe, which is something that nobody expected because they are unapologetic about the fact that they will put their citizens first before any kind of online manipulation, EU rhetoric that tries to make them feel bad and push them to taking in refugees that just end up destroying their country. Of course, when I say they, I am referring to Poland, which surprise, surprise, has turned out to be a bastion of freedom and peacefulness against this takeover that we're seeing across Europe. But not only are they doing a great job at...

US President Donald Trump has asked European allies for a lot lately – the use of military bases, the potential relocation of missile defense systems and generally stronger support for US military action against Iran. Many responses have been lukewarm, with allies offering limited defensive support but also repeatedly calling for de-escalation. But increasingly, White House requests have been met with a firm “no.” Or nie, non, rifiuto. This week, Italy denied a US request for aircraft to land at a military base in Sicily, according to state broadcaster RAI on Tuesday. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has perhaps been...

A generation ago, Poland rationed sugar and flour while its citizens were paid one-tenth what West Germans earned. Today its economy has edged past Switzerland to become the world’s 20th largest with over $1 trillion in annual output. It's a historic leap from the post-communist ruins of 1989-90 to today’s European growth champion that economists say has lessons on how to bring prosperity to ordinary people — and that the Trump administration says should be recognized by Poland’s presence at a summit of the Group of 20 leading economies later this year In 35 years — a little less than...

POZNAN, Poland (AP) — A generation ago, Poland rationed sugar and flour while its citizens were paid one-tenth what West Germans earned. Today, the economy of the country has edged past Switzerland to become the world’s 20th largest with more than $1 trillion in annual output. It’s a historic leap from the post-Communist ruins of 1989-90 to European growth champion, which economists say has lessons on how to bring prosperity to ordinary people — and that the Trump administration says should be recognized by Poland’s presence at a summit of the Group of 20 leading economies later this year. The...

According to a statement released by the University of Gdansk, evaluation of the remains of people who lived in what is now north-central Poland between 4100 and 1230 B.C. has revealed how their diets changed from the Neolithic period to the Bronze Age. Using radiocarbon dating, DNA analysis, and stable isotope measurements of carbon and nitrogen, a team led by Łukasz Pospieszny of the University of Gdansk suggests that Corded Ware communities of the late Neolithic period herded their animals in forests and wet river valleys. After several hundred years, however, their diet began to resemble that of nearby farmers,...

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signaled his country will eventually try to obtain its own nuclear weapons as Europe strengthens deterrence amid doubts over U.S. commitment to defending the continent. “Poland takes nuclear security very seriously,” the prime minister said ahead of a weekly government meeting on Tuesday. “As our autonomous capabilities grow, we will strive to prepare Poland for the most autonomous actions possible in this matter in the future.” Warsaw will not be “passive” as it also invests in nuclear power plants, according to the prime minister. Tusk said on Monday that his country was in talks with...

Estimates suggest that at least 370-400 people have safely sought refuge in Azerbaijan after crossing the Astara border checkpoint. Some 100 of those were Azerbaijani nationals with the rest being expats from 19 different countries. The Astara Border Crossing between Iran and Azerbaijan has seen increased traffic over the last few days by foreign nations, as many continue to seek an exit from Tehran amid continued US and Israeli attacks. The increased crossing traffic comes after the Azerbaijani government announced on Saturday that it would open the crossing to enable its nationals trapped in Iran to safely evacuate, as well...

it’s been a while since we had a good, old fashioned “cats with stats” around here and seems like high time we remedied that, so here is some data that happened to strike me: michael arouet, whose data and analysis i quite like, posted this yesterday: being a data-driven sort of feline, this seemed a bit of an unfair comparison to me as it pits an urban area against a whole country and as such has the potential to embed a great deal of bias. seeking to eliminate this potential objection to the data and to make a more apples...

Poland's withdrawal from landmine ban convention threatens escalation — Russian MFA "Beyond weakening the Convention itself, these steps could set off a domino effect, with other countries following suit," Maria Zakharova said MOSCOW, February 20. /TASS/. Warsaw's withdrawal from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention could trigger a "domino effect" and escalate tensions in Europe, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a comment. "The consequences of such actions will soon become apparent. Beyond weakening the Convention itself, these steps could set off a domino effect, with other countries following suit," the diplomat said. "At the same time, some EU...

Poland will use antipersonnel as well as anti-tank land mines to defend its eastern border against the growing threat from Russia, Poland’s deputy defense minister told The Associated Press on Friday as the country officially left an international convention banning the use of the controversial weapons. The 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, also known as the Ottawa Convention, prohibits signatories from keeping or using antipersonnel mines, which can last for years and are known for having caused large-scale suffering among civilians in former conflict zones in countries including Cambodia, Angola and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Poland, which ratified the document in...

Polish immigration authorities have returned 25 Pakistani nationals to their country of origin as part of a government clampdown on illegal immigration. The migrants, who were flown back to Pakistan on a military plane, were subject to deportation orders issued for breaching Polish regulations. The Border Guard did not provide specific details of the deportees’ transgressions but described the flight as “discouraging the misuse of migration procedures." Most forced removal decisions are issued for illegal border crossings and failure to comply with an order to leave. The interior minister, Marcin Kierwiński, was unequivocal on social media, however. “Zero tolerance for...

Poland is to launch an investigation into possible links between Jeffrey Epstein and Russian authorities. Prime Minister Donald Tusk wants to determine whether the convicted paedophile was working for the country's secret services.