And in its place Musk has his own now. :\

Poland’s border guard has joined police in raids around the country targeting illegal immigration. As a result of the action, almost 400 proceedings have been launched to deport foreigners without the right to be in Poland.

The crackdown came days after a declaration last week by Poland’s interior minister and the mayor of Warsaw of a “zero tolerance” approach to crimes committed by immigrants, following media reports of a growing wave of “imported crime”.

The raids – which took place on 13-14 February but which were only announced this week – were part of a broader, nationwide police action targeting people wanted on arrest warrants. Over 26,000 police officers carried out checks at over 32,000 locations.

As a result, 1,474 people were detained, including 204 foreigners, announced the national police headquarters on Wednesday this week. That in turn led to the police in 166 cases applying to the border guard to expel foreigners from Poland.

In a separate statement, the border guard revealed that 1,000 of its officers had participated in the raids, with the “aim of combating illegal migration”. They carried out over 2,400 checks on the legality of the presence of foreigners in Poland, leading to the launching of proceedings against almost 400 of them.

Among those whose documents were checked, the largest number, over 1,000, were Ukrainians, who are by far Poland’s largest immigrant group. The next largest numbers were Georgians (264), another large immigrant group, and Colombians (204), whose numbers have been growing rapidly in recent years.

Among those against whom deportation proceedings were launched, Ukrainians account for 180 cases and Georgians and Colombians almost 60 each, said the border guard.

Most deportation cases were brought due to the finding that the foreigners were not staying legally in Poland, but in three instances they were initiated due to a threat to state security or public safety.

“This action is the beginning of regular activity by the [uniformed] services, the primary goal of which is to ensure the security in our country,” wrote the police. “It is also a signal to those who want to come to Poland to conduct criminal activities: they will be under the watchful eye of the Polish services.”

The outcome of the raids was also hailed by interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak, who wrote on social media that they show “we will not allow foreign gangs to enter Poland”.

Earlier this month, Siemoniak noted that 5% of all people suspected of carrying out crimes in Poland last year were foreigners. However, the data he presented also indicated that immigrants make up 8% of Poland’s population.

In recent years, Poland has experienced a wave of immigration that is unprecedented in its history and among the highest of any country in Europe. It has issued more first residence permits to immigrants from outside the EU than has any other member state. Meanwhile, asylum applications rose to a new high in 2024.

Earlier this month, Rzeczpospolita, a leading newspaper, reported that Georgian immigrants, in particular, have been responsible for a return to the kind of violent organised crime that was common in the 1990s during the post-communist transition.

Last year, Poland’s government approved a tough new migration strategy aimed at “taking back control” of the country’s borders. It includes a proposal to suspend the right of those who have entered the country irregularly to claim asylum.

Poland’s border guard has joined police in raids around the country targeting illegal immigration. As a result of the action, almost 400 proceedings have been launched to deport foreigners without the right to be in Poland.

The crackdown came days after a declaration last week by Poland’s interior minister and the mayor of Warsaw of a “zero tolerance” approach to crimes committed by immigrants, following media reports of a growing wave of “imported crime”.

The raids – which took place on 13-14 February but which were only announced this week – were part of a broader, nationwide police action targeting people wanted on arrest warrants. Over 26,000 police officers carried out checks at over 32,000 locations.

As a result, 1,474 people were detained, including 204 foreigners, announced the national police headquarters on Wednesday this week. That in turn led to the police in 166 cases applying to the border guard to expel foreigners from Poland.

In a separate statement, the border guard revealed that 1,000 of its officers had participated in the raids, with the “aim of combating illegal migration”. They carried out over 2,400 checks on the legality of the presence of foreigners in Poland, leading to the launching of proceedings against almost 400 of them.

Among those whose documents were checked, the largest number, over 1,000, were Ukrainians, who are by far Poland’s largest immigrant group. The next largest numbers were Georgians (264), another large immigrant group, and Colombians (204), whose numbers have been growing rapidly in recent years.

Among those against whom deportation proceedings were launched, Ukrainians account for 180 cases and Georgians and Colombians almost 60 each, said the border guard.

Most deportation cases were brought due to the finding that the foreigners were not staying legally in Poland, but in three instances they were initiated due to a threat to state security or public safety.

“This action is the beginning of regular activity by the [uniformed] services, the primary goal of which is to ensure the security in our country,” wrote the police. “It is also a signal to those who want to come to Poland to conduct criminal activities: they will be under the watchful eye of the Polish services.”

The outcome of the raids was also hailed by interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak, who wrote on social media that they show “we will not allow foreign gangs to enter Poland”.

Earlier this month, Siemoniak noted that 5% of all people suspected of carrying out crimes in Poland last year were foreigners. However, the data he presented also indicated that immigrants make up 8% of Poland’s population.

In recent years, Poland has experienced a wave of immigration that is unprecedented in its history and among the highest of any country in Europe. It has issued more first residence permits to immigrants from outside the EU than has any other member state. Meanwhile, asylum applications rose to a new high in 2024.

Earlier this month, Rzeczpospolita, a leading newspaper, reported that Georgian immigrants, in particular, have been responsible for a return to the kind of violent organised crime that was common in the 1990s during the post-communist transition.

Last year, Poland’s government approved a tough new migration strategy aimed at “taking back control” of the country’s borders. It includes a proposal to suspend the right of those who have entered the country irregularly to claim asylum.

Poland’s border guard has joined police in raids around the country targeting illegal immigration. As a result of the action, almost 400 proceedings have been launched to deport foreigners without the right to be in Poland.

The crackdown came days after a declaration last week by Poland’s interior minister and the mayor of Warsaw of a “zero tolerance” approach to crimes committed by immigrants, following media reports of a growing wave of “imported crime”.

The raids – which took place on 13-14 February but which were only announced this week – were part of a broader, nationwide police action targeting people wanted on arrest warrants. Over 26,000 police officers carried out checks at over 32,000 locations.

As a result, 1,474 people were detained, including 204 foreigners, announced the national police headquarters on Wednesday this week. That in turn led to the police in 166 cases applying to the border guard to expel foreigners from Poland.

In a separate statement, the border guard revealed that 1,000 of its officers had participated in the raids, with the “aim of combating illegal migration”. They carried out over 2,400 checks on the legality of the presence of foreigners in Poland, leading to the launching of proceedings against almost 400 of them.

Among those whose documents were checked, the largest number, over 1,000, were Ukrainians, who are by far Poland’s largest immigrant group. The next largest numbers were Georgians (264), another large immigrant group, and Colombians (204), whose numbers have been growing rapidly in recent years.

Among those against whom deportation proceedings were launched, Ukrainians account for 180 cases and Georgians and Colombians almost 60 each, said the border guard.

Most deportation cases were brought due to the finding that the foreigners were not staying legally in Poland, but in three instances they were initiated due to a threat to state security or public safety.

“This action is the beginning of regular activity by the [uniformed] services, the primary goal of which is to ensure the security in our country,” wrote the police. “It is also a signal to those who want to come to Poland to conduct criminal activities: they will be under the watchful eye of the Polish services.”

The outcome of the raids was also hailed by interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak, who wrote on social media that they show “we will not allow foreign gangs to enter Poland”.

Earlier this month, Siemoniak noted that 5% of all people suspected of carrying out crimes in Poland last year were foreigners. However, the data he presented also indicated that immigrants make up 8% of Poland’s population.

In recent years, Poland has experienced a wave of immigration that is unprecedented in its history and among the highest of any country in Europe. It has issued more first residence permits to immigrants from outside the EU than has any other member state. Meanwhile, asylum applications rose to a new high in 2024.

Earlier this month, Rzeczpospolita, a leading newspaper, reported that Georgian immigrants, in particular, have been responsible for a return to the kind of violent organised crime that was common in the 1990s during the post-communist transition.

Last year, Poland’s government approved a tough new migration strategy aimed at “taking back control” of the country’s borders. It includes a proposal to suspend the right of those who have entered the country irregularly to claim asylum.

Poland’s parliament has approved a bill allowing the government to suspend the right to claim asylum for people who cross the border irregularly as part of the “instrumentalisation of migration” by a foreign state.

The measure has been criticised as a violation of European and international law by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. But it received overwhelming support from Polish MPs in both the ruling coalition and the opposition.

The 386 votes in favour in the 460-seat Sejm, the more powerful lower house of parliament, included all or the vast majority of MPs from the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), centre-right Polish People’s Party (PSL) and centrist Poland 2050 (Polska 2050), which are part of the ruling coalition.

They were joined by all or most MPs from the two main right-wing opposition parties: the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) and the far-right Confederation (Konfederacja).

Only 38 MPs voted against it, mainly from The Left (Lewica), which is part of the ruling coalition, and Together (Razem), a small left-wing party.

The bill now passes to the upper-house Senate, which can delay but not block legislation, then on to President Duda, a PiS ally, who can sign it into law, veto it, or pass it to the constitutional court.

Poland received a record number of asylum claims last year amid a renewed crisis at the Belarus border, where since 2021 tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers – mainly from the Middle East, Asia and Africa – have been trying to cross with the help and encouragement of the Belarusian authorities.

In response, Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposed in September a tough new migration strategy, including allowing the temporary and partial suspension of the right to claim asylum. Those measures were subsequently approved by his government in December.

The bill approved by the Sejm this evening would enact parts of Tusk’s strategy by amending the asylum law to introduce a new term into Poland’s legal lexicon: “instrumentalisation of migration.”

That is a phrase regularly used by Polish and other European authorities to describe the deliberate manner in which Belarus and Russia have used migrants and asylum seekers in an attempt to destabilise EU countries.

Under the Polish bill, the interior ministry would be empowered to temporarily restrict the right to claim international protection if instrumentalisation of migration is taking place, if it “constitutes a serious and real threat to security”, and if the restriction of asylum rights is necessary to counter the threat.

The legislation also specifies that the government’s actions must “aim to limit the rights of foreigners intending to apply for international protection to the least possible extent”, reports news and analysis website OKO.press.

Moreover, certain categories of people must be allowed to claim asylum even if the measures are in place, including minors, pregnant women, people who require special healthcare, people deemed at “real risk of harm” if returned over the border, and citizens of the country that is carrying out the instrumentalisation.

An amendment accepted today by parliament before the bill was passed allows an entire group that includes minors – such as a family – to submit an asylum claim. Previously, only the minors would have been allowed to.

The interior ministry’s regulation implementing the suspension of asylum rights must define the area in which it will apply and how long it will apply for (up to 60 days, after which it can only be renewed with the approval of the Sejm).

Tusk has argued that the measures are necessary because existing asylum rules were not designed to accommodate the deliberate instrumentalisation of migration by hostile states.

However, human rights groups have declared the measures to violate not only international law but Poland’s own constitution. They also say it will cause real harm to vulnerable asylum seekers, who will face being pushed back over the border into Belarus.

Well over 100 people are believed to have died around the borders between Belarus and EU member states since the beginning of the crisis in 2021.

Poland’s parliament has approved a bill allowing the government to suspend the right to claim asylum for people who cross the border irregularly as part of the “instrumentalisation of migration” by a foreign state.

The measure has been criticised as a violation of European and international law by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. But it received overwhelming support from Polish MPs in both the ruling coalition and the opposition.

The 386 votes in favour in the 460-seat Sejm, the more powerful lower house of parliament, included all or the vast majority of MPs from the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), centre-right Polish People’s Party (PSL) and centrist Poland 2050 (Polska 2050), which are part of the ruling coalition.

They were joined by all or most MPs from the two main right-wing opposition parties: the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) and the far-right Confederation (Konfederacja).

Only 38 MPs voted against it, mainly from The Left (Lewica), which is part of the ruling coalition, and Together (Razem), a small left-wing party.

The bill now passes to the upper-house Senate, which can delay but not block legislation, then on to President Duda, a PiS ally, who can sign it into law, veto it, or pass it to the constitutional court.

Poland received a record number of asylum claims last year amid a renewed crisis at the Belarus border, where since 2021 tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers – mainly from the Middle East, Asia and Africa – have been trying to cross with the help and encouragement of the Belarusian authorities.

In response, Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposed in September a tough new migration strategy, including allowing the temporary and partial suspension of the right to claim asylum. Those measures were subsequently approved by his government in December.

The bill approved by the Sejm this evening would enact parts of Tusk’s strategy by amending the asylum law to introduce a new term into Poland’s legal lexicon: “instrumentalisation of migration.”

That is a phrase regularly used by Polish and other European authorities to describe the deliberate manner in which Belarus and Russia have used migrants and asylum seekers in an attempt to destabilise EU countries.

Under the Polish bill, the interior ministry would be empowered to temporarily restrict the right to claim international protection if instrumentalisation of migration is taking place, if it “constitutes a serious and real threat to security”, and if the restriction of asylum rights is necessary to counter the threat.

The legislation also specifies that the government’s actions must “aim to limit the rights of foreigners intending to apply for international protection to the least possible extent”, reports news and analysis website OKO.press.

Moreover, certain categories of people must be allowed to claim asylum even if the measures are in place, including minors, pregnant women, people who require special healthcare, people deemed at “real risk of harm” if returned over the border, and citizens of the country that is carrying out the instrumentalisation.

An amendment accepted today by parliament before the bill was passed allows an entire group that includes minors – such as a family – to submit an asylum claim. Previously, only the minors would have been allowed to.

The interior ministry’s regulation implementing the suspension of asylum rights must define the area in which it will apply and how long it will apply for (up to 60 days, after which it can only be renewed with the approval of the Sejm).

Tusk has argued that the measures are necessary because existing asylum rules were not designed to accommodate the deliberate instrumentalisation of migration by hostile states.

However, human rights groups have declared the measures to violate not only international law but Poland’s own constitution. They also say it will cause real harm to vulnerable asylum seekers, who will face being pushed back over the border into Belarus.

Well over 100 people are believed to have died around the borders between Belarus and EU member states since the beginning of the crisis in 2021.

Poland’s parliament has approved a bill allowing the government to suspend the right to claim asylum for people who cross the border irregularly as part of the “instrumentalisation of migration” by a foreign state.

The measure has been criticised as a violation of European and international law by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. But it received overwhelming support from Polish MPs in both the ruling coalition and the opposition.

The 386 votes in favour in the 460-seat Sejm, the more powerful lower house of parliament, included all or the vast majority of MPs from the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), centre-right Polish People’s Party (PSL) and centrist Poland 2050 (Polska 2050), which are part of the ruling coalition.

They were joined by all or most MPs from the two main right-wing opposition parties: the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) and the far-right Confederation (Konfederacja).

Only 38 MPs voted against it, mainly from The Left (Lewica), which is part of the ruling coalition, and Together (Razem), a small left-wing party.

The bill now passes to the upper-house Senate, which can delay but not block legislation, then on to President Duda, a PiS ally, who can sign it into law, veto it, or pass it to the constitutional court.

Poland received a record number of asylum claims last year amid a renewed crisis at the Belarus border, where since 2021 tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers – mainly from the Middle East, Asia and Africa – have been trying to cross with the help and encouragement of the Belarusian authorities.

In response, Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposed in September a tough new migration strategy, including allowing the temporary and partial suspension of the right to claim asylum. Those measures were subsequently approved by his government in December.

The bill approved by the Sejm this evening would enact parts of Tusk’s strategy by amending the asylum law to introduce a new term into Poland’s legal lexicon: “instrumentalisation of migration.”

That is a phrase regularly used by Polish and other European authorities to describe the deliberate manner in which Belarus and Russia have used migrants and asylum seekers in an attempt to destabilise EU countries.

Under the Polish bill, the interior ministry would be empowered to temporarily restrict the right to claim international protection if instrumentalisation of migration is taking place, if it “constitutes a serious and real threat to security”, and if the restriction of asylum rights is necessary to counter the threat.

The legislation also specifies that the government’s actions must “aim to limit the rights of foreigners intending to apply for international protection to the least possible extent”, reports news and analysis website OKO.press.

Moreover, certain categories of people must be allowed to claim asylum even if the measures are in place, including minors, pregnant women, people who require special healthcare, people deemed at “real risk of harm” if returned over the border, and citizens of the country that is carrying out the instrumentalisation.

An amendment accepted today by parliament before the bill was passed allows an entire group that includes minors – such as a family – to submit an asylum claim. Previously, only the minors would have been allowed to.

The interior ministry’s regulation implementing the suspension of asylum rights must define the area in which it will apply and how long it will apply for (up to 60 days, after which it can only be renewed with the approval of the Sejm).

Tusk has argued that the measures are necessary because existing asylum rules were not designed to accommodate the deliberate instrumentalisation of migration by hostile states.

However, human rights groups have declared the measures to violate not only international law but Poland’s own constitution. They also say it will cause real harm to vulnerable asylum seekers, who will face being pushed back over the border into Belarus.

Well over 100 people are believed to have died around the borders between Belarus and EU member states since the beginning of the crisis in 2021.

A Ukrainian man has been sentenced to eight years in prison by a Polish court for preparing to carry out acts of sabotage on behalf of Russia.

The 51-year-old, who can only be identified as Serhiy S. under Polish privacy law, was detained by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) in January 2024 on suspicion of working for the Russian security services.

He was accused of planning arson attacks on various buildings in Wrocław, Poland’s third-largest city, including a paint factory in close proximity to a fuel warehouse belonging to state oil giant Orlen.

In a ruling today – which can still be appealed – Serhiy S. was convicted of participating in an international organised criminal group and planning sabotage activities in Poland on behalf of foreign intelligence services.

Among the evidence against him were camera recordings and mobile phone records that showed him in close proximity to the paint plant, reports the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

The suspect himself – who fled Ukraine after Russia’s invasion and had previously stayed in Germany – had acknowledged accepting an order received online to set fire to the building. But he claimed he had no intention to actually do it, instead aiming to defraud money from the person offering it.

The judge, Marcin Myczkowski, rejected Serhiy S.’s not-guilty plea, however. In handing down the sentence, Myczkowski noted that, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland and other European countries have faced a wave of actions aimed at destabilising them, including acts of sabotage.

“The idea was to convince the public that it was not worth supporting Ukraine, to create the impression that the authorities of Western countries were not coping,” said Myczkowski, quoted by the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.

Serhiy S. was among those who had been “instructed and directed” to carry out such actions, said the judge. He expressed hope that the eight-year prison sentence would “signal to the accused and people like him that it is not worth it and that the Polish state is acting”.

Both Myczkowski and one of the prosecutors in the case, Marcin Kucharski, noted that Serhiy S. is an example of a new kind of agent used by foreign services.

“Instead of expensive, highly qualified agents trained for a long time, we are dealing with people who are ready to do anything for four thousand dollars,” said Kucharski, quoted by PAP.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Poland has arrested a number of people accused of spying for or carrying out sabotage on behalf of Russia and Belarus. It has also accused Moscow and Minsk of orchestrating a migration crisis on Poland’s border and of carrying out cyberattacks.

In December 2023, 14 members of a Russian spy network who planned to derail a Ukraine aid train were sentenced in Poland to between one and six years in prison.

Poland has also suggested that it is likely Russia was behind a wave of sabotage cases last year, including a fire that destroyed Warsaw’s largest shopping centre. In October, four people were detained in Poland on suspicion of involvement in sending hidden incendiaries via parcel delivery services.

Last week, two Russian men were sentenced to five and a half years in prison for place restriction posters for Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group in Polish cities.

A Ukrainian man has been sentenced to eight years in prison by a Polish court for preparing to carry out acts of sabotage on behalf of Russia.

The 51-year-old, who can only be identified as Serhiy S. under Polish privacy law, was detained by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) in January 2024 on suspicion of working for the Russian security services.

He was accused of planning arson attacks on various buildings in Wrocław, Poland’s third-largest city, including a paint factory in close proximity to a fuel warehouse belonging to state oil giant Orlen.

In a ruling today – which can still be appealed – Serhiy S. was convicted of participating in an international organised criminal group and planning sabotage activities in Poland on behalf of foreign intelligence services.

Among the evidence against him were camera recordings and mobile phone records that showed him in close proximity to the paint plant, reports the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

The suspect himself – who fled Ukraine after Russia’s invasion and had previously stayed in Germany – had acknowledged accepting an order received online to set fire to the building. But he claimed he had no intention to actually do it, instead aiming to defraud money from the person offering it.

The judge, Marcin Myczkowski, rejected Serhiy S.’s not-guilty plea, however. In handing down the sentence, Myczkowski noted that, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland and other European countries have faced a wave of actions aimed at destabilising them, including acts of sabotage.

“The idea was to convince the public that it was not worth supporting Ukraine, to create the impression that the authorities of Western countries were not coping,” said Myczkowski, quoted by the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.

Serhiy S. was among those who had been “instructed and directed” to carry out such actions, said the judge. He expressed hope that the eight-year prison sentence would “signal to the accused and people like him that it is not worth it and that the Polish state is acting”.

Both Myczkowski and one of the prosecutors in the case, Marcin Kucharski, noted that Serhiy S. is an example of a new kind of agent used by foreign services.

“Instead of expensive, highly qualified agents trained for a long time, we are dealing with people who are ready to do anything for four thousand dollars,” said Kucharski, quoted by PAP.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Poland has arrested a number of people accused of spying for or carrying out sabotage on behalf of Russia and Belarus. It has also accused Moscow and Minsk of orchestrating a migration crisis on Poland’s border and of carrying out cyberattacks.

In December 2023, 14 members of a Russian spy network who planned to derail a Ukraine aid train were sentenced in Poland to between one and six years in prison.

Poland has also suggested that it is likely Russia was behind a wave of sabotage cases last year, including a fire that destroyed Warsaw’s largest shopping centre. In October, four people were detained in Poland on suspicion of involvement in sending hidden incendiaries via parcel delivery services.

Last week, two Russian men were sentenced to five and a half years in prison for place restriction posters for Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group in Polish cities.

A Ukrainian man has been sentenced to eight years in prison by a Polish court for preparing to carry out acts of sabotage on behalf of Russia.

The 51-year-old, who can only be identified as Serhiy S. under Polish privacy law, was detained by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) in January 2024 on suspicion of working for the Russian security services.

He was accused of planning arson attacks on various buildings in Wrocław, Poland’s third-largest city, including a paint factory in close proximity to a fuel warehouse belonging to state oil giant Orlen.

In a ruling today – which can still be appealed – Serhiy S. was convicted of participating in an international organised criminal group and planning sabotage activities in Poland on behalf of foreign intelligence services.

Among the evidence against him were camera recordings and mobile phone records that showed him in close proximity to the paint plant, reports the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

The suspect himself – who fled Ukraine after Russia’s invasion and had previously stayed in Germany – had acknowledged accepting an order received online to set fire to the building. But he claimed he had no intention to actually do it, instead aiming to defraud money from the person offering it.

The judge, Marcin Myczkowski, rejected Serhiy S.’s not-guilty plea, however. In handing down the sentence, Myczkowski noted that, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland and other European countries have faced a wave of actions aimed at destabilising them, including acts of sabotage.

“The idea was to convince the public that it was not worth supporting Ukraine, to create the impression that the authorities of Western countries were not coping,” said Myczkowski, quoted by the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.

Serhiy S. was among those who had been “instructed and directed” to carry out such actions, said the judge. He expressed hope that the eight-year prison sentence would “signal to the accused and people like him that it is not worth it and that the Polish state is acting”.

Both Myczkowski and one of the prosecutors in the case, Marcin Kucharski, noted that Serhiy S. is an example of a new kind of agent used by foreign services.

“Instead of expensive, highly qualified agents trained for a long time, we are dealing with people who are ready to do anything for four thousand dollars,” said Kucharski, quoted by PAP.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Poland has arrested a number of people accused of spying for or carrying out sabotage on behalf of Russia and Belarus. It has also accused Moscow and Minsk of orchestrating a migration crisis on Poland’s border and of carrying out cyberattacks.

In December 2023, 14 members of a Russian spy network who planned to derail a Ukraine aid train were sentenced in Poland to between one and six years in prison.

Poland has also suggested that it is likely Russia was behind a wave of sabotage cases last year, including a fire that destroyed Warsaw’s largest shopping centre. In October, four people were detained in Poland on suspicion of involvement in sending hidden incendiaries via parcel delivery services.

Last week, two Russian men were sentenced to five and a half years in prison for place restriction posters for Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group in Polish cities.

To be completely fair though, Zandberg and much of Razem’s present day management does have a part with Młodzi Socjaliści, an actuslly socialist youth group, and even as recently as 2023 Zandberg admitted that they’re market socialists (whether that actually counts as socialist or not is beside the point and even then that is still substantially closer to workers owning the means of production than the Third Way variant of social democracy that Nowa Lewica, the left-wing party in our current government, currently supports).

That being said, “leftist” is a somewhat derogatory term. Had this article’s title been written with the identical language in Polish, it might’ve used “lewak” which is fully derogatory towards people with left-wing beliefs (or if you’re far-right also towards liberals).

Never even thought of that somehow.

Anyway, it’s kinda sad that “hard-left” social democracy is the furthest left we have in parliament while the far-right already has ultranationalists, monarchists, anti-vaxxers, laissez-fairists and Putin panderers all in one, including in their parliamentary club of 16 people (well now 15 because their biggest nutcase Braun got kicked - not because of his death threats, vandalism or blatant anti-semitism but because of sabotage against Mentzen, their official presidential candidate).

Nuclear+renewables is probably the best solution

It’ll probably happen not far away from now.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is “ready and willing” to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to help guarantee its security as part of a peace deal.

The UK prime minister said securing a lasting peace in Ukraine was “essential if we are to deter Putin from further aggression in the future”.

Before attending an emergency summit with European leaders in Paris on Monday, Sir Keir said the UK was prepared to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by “putting our own troops on the ground if necessary”.

“I do not say that lightly,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph. “I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm’s way.”

The prime minister added: “But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine’s security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent, and the security of this country.”

The end of Russia’s war with Ukraine “when it comes, cannot merely become a temporary pause before Putin attacks again”, Sir Keir said.

UK troops could be deployed alongside soldiers from other European nations alongside the border between Ukrainian-held and Russian-held territory.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC the government sees the war in Ukraine as “the frontline for Europe and the frontline for Britain”.

He said the UK is “prepared to play its part in securing the long-term future for Ukraine, for Europe and for Britain’s national security”.

Sir Keir’s announcement comes after the former head of the Army, Lord Dannatt, told the BBC the UK military was “so run down” it could not lead any future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said sending troops to Ukraine would come at a “considerable cost” and require an increase in funding for the military.

“Frankly, we haven’t got the numbers and we haven’t got the equipment to put a large force onto the ground for an extended period of time at the present moment,” he said.

The PM has previously only hinted that British troops could be involved in safeguarding Ukraine after a ceasefire.

He is due to visit President Donald Trump in Washington later this month and said a “US security guarantee is essential for a lasting peace, because only the US can deter Putin from attacking again”.

Sir Keir is meeting with other European leaders in response to concerns the US is moving forward with Russia on peace talks that will lock out the continent.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to meet Russian officials in Saudi Arabia in the coming days, US officials say.

On Saturday the US special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said European leaders would be consulted only and not take part in any talks between the US and Russia.

A senior Ukrainian government source told the BBC on Sunday that Kyiv has not been invited to talks between the US and Russia.

Trump earlier this week announced he had had a lengthy conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that negotiations to stop the “ridiculous war” in Ukraine would begin “immediately”.

Trump then “informed” Zelensky of his plan.

On Sunday, Trump said that he expected Zelensky to be involved in the talks. He also said he would allow European nations to buy US weapons for Ukraine.

Asked by the BBC about his timetable for an end to fighting, Trump said only that “we’re working to get it done” and laid the blame for the war on the previous administration’s Ukraine policies.

Writing in the Telegraph, Sir Keir said “peace cannot come at any cost” and “Ukraine must be at the table in these negotiations, because anything less would accept Putin’s position that Ukraine is not a real nation”.

He added: “We cannot have another situation like Afghanistan, where the US negotiated directly with the Taliban and cut out the Afghan government” - in reference to a deal negotiated in Trump’s first administration, which was later enacted by the Biden administration.

“I feel sure that President Trump will want to avoid this too,” said Sir Keir

The UK currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence and has committed to increase defence spending to a 2.5% share of the economy, without giving a timeframe for this.

Trump has called for Nato members to spend 5% of GDP on defence, while Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has suggested allies should spend more than 3%.

Lord Dannatt - who was head of the Army from 2006 to 2009 - told the BBC a rise to 2.5% would be “nowhere near enough” and would only “fill the potholes” left by current underspending.

He estimated up to 30,000 UK troops would be needed on rotation for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, which would likely require mobilising reservists.

Streeting told the BBC he would not speculate on the number of troops the mission would require, adding it was for the prime minister, defence secretary and foreign secretary to decide.

“But what I would say is the prime minister doesn’t talk about deploying British service men and women lightly,” he said.

The meeting in Paris called by French President Emmanuel Macron will see Sir Keir joined by leaders from Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark along with the presidents of the European Council and European Commission, and Rutte.

Aside from that gaffe he does have a good history of being a diplomat though.

Pretty high for what is mostly flights

Meanwhile, everyone in r/worldnews (the mods there perma-ban people over derailing comments btw) say the woman was lying

I agree with you either way (at least regarding the DNC being a husk of a party), but I’d really like to see that rant.