This work, V Corps Soldiers, NATO partners protect eastern flank, by Shannon Collins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Germany — Poland continues to deliver on in-kind contributions that support the American military presence in the country with Warsaw in the year ahead expected to spend nearly $200 million on upgrades at bases used by U.S Senate’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2025 mark the latest round of initiatives aimed at enhancing the bases Poland agreed to fund $300 million on various projects including $93 million for ongoing work to build a new Army barracks and a dining facility in Powidz Poland is the only NATO member singled out in the NDAA for making in-kind contributions to the U.S The projects in Poland are part of a bilateral security agreement that calls for Poland to pick up a large amount of the infrastructure costs needed to support U.S The Polish contributions in 2025 include efforts at Lask Air Base Air Force maintains a steady rotational presence Construction there adds up to $132 million to support drone and surveillance operations hangar and communications upgrades needed to support such missions Warsaw will spend $56 million on force protection and communications at a base in Wroclaw used for moving U.S which has emerged as the center of gravity for missions aimed at deterring Russian aggression on NATO’s eastern flank solidified Poland’s growing status within NATO when the U.S Army established its first permanent garrison in the country While Poland has made no secret about its desire for more U.S Warsaw also has stood out among NATO members for ramping up expenditures on its own defense Polish leaders have said the country will increase its defense spending from 4% of gross domestic product to 5% putting it first among NATO’s 32-member alliance While others inside NATO have upped their defense spending nine of the 32 members still fall short of the alliance’s minimum benchmark which calls for 2% of GDP to be dedicated to a country’s armed forces Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Will it be effective?Ukrainian Legion members are expected to be trained and equipped in Poland with the right to return to Europe after rotation in Ukraine Photo for illustration purposes: Polish soldiers seen before a high-intensity training session using M1A2 Abrams tanks at Nowa Deba training ground in Nowa Deba (Artur Widak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) by Dinara KhalilovaKyiv and Warsaw have agreed to form and jointly train a new army brigade on Polish soil betting the initiative could help recruit some of the scores of Ukrainian men living in Poland and other EU countries The so-called Ukrainian Legion, a fresh initiative to boost Ukraine’s military manpower more than two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion will be the first army formation to recruit Ukrainian volunteer fighters from abroad — including those who fled across the border to avoid being drafted to fight in the war and long-time Ukrainian residents of other countries Formation of the Ukrainian Legion, whose troops will be sent to fight in Ukraine against Russia’s invading forces following boot camp, is a key element of a bilateral security agreement inked on July 8 between Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk "The Ukrainian Legion will train in Poland and be equipped with the help of our partners. Every Ukrainian citizen who decides to join the Legion will be able to sign a contract with the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Zelensky said at the time with Tusk at his side sign a cooperation agreement on the security field prior to a press conference at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in Warsaw (Omar Marques/Anadolu via Getty Images)Yet details about the legion’s formation including how Ukrainians abroad could enlist Its formation comes as Ukraine, which recently reformed its domestic army mobilization efforts, faces a manpower shortage as Russia continues to advance in multiple sectors of the front line Kyiv has been discussing for months with foreign partners the possibility of returning thousands of draft-eligible Ukrainians who fled the country the Ukrainian Legion could significantly reinforce exhausted troops and encourage other European countries to support the initiative or copy it by establishing domestic training programs on their own turn aimed at enlisting Ukrainian men abroad Earlier this year, Kyiv intensified discussions with allies that started at least in 2023 about ways to return military-eligible men who left the country during the war, sometimes illegally. The BBC estimated in November 2023 that about 650,000 military-age Ukrainian men had left for the EU since the invasion began a defense analyst focusing on Russia and Belarus and the head of Rochan Consulting told the Kyiv Independent that the creation of the Ukrainian Legion indicates that Ukrainian authorities have opted for “a more benign and encouraging" approach The Legion promises future fighters high-quality training in line with Western standards and the right to return to their families in Europe after rotations Ukrainian men aged 18-60 are generally forbidden to leave the country under martial law The training pledge looks especially appealing as current military training in Ukraine is “not ideal" in duration and quality  “There are also some deficiencies when it comes to more specialized training and interoperability training at the brigade level,” Muzyka added Zelensky said on July 15 that Ukraine doesn’t have enough training facilities for new soldiers arriving as part of a new mobilization campaign a Ukrainian who has lived in Slovakia since 2019 told the Kyiv Independent that he plans to join the Ukrainian Legion to avoid feeling “ashamed.” When asked why he chose the Ukrainian Legion over joining a standard military unit based in Ukraine Cherkashyn said he hoped European instructors would “increase efficiency and reduce possible losses.” “I believe that these issues have not been given due attention in Ukraine,” he said quipping that Ukraine currently prioritizes boosting the number of troops over the quality of their training It is still unclear if recruitment for the Ukrainian Legion has begun or how to join Upon the Kyiv Independent's request to the Polish Foreign Ministry to clarify whether Sikorski's statement referred to volunteers for the Ukrainian Legion or those who updated their military data at the consulates as required by the recent mobilization law the ministry reshared Sikorski's quotes but didn't provide clarifications Poland's Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski told Polskie Radio on July 19 that Ukrainian consulates in Poland would assist with recruitment Ukraine's Embassy in Poland said on July 26 that it was still determining the recruitment procedure and would soon start an information campaign on how to join the legion Photo for illustration purposes: Young men wait in a hall to be seen by a doctor during Myslenice district medical qualification for military service as it starts in all districts of Poland on Feb This nationwide action will examine 22 thousand young men and women in 2024 and will continue in the future (Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Photo for illustration purposes: Young soldiers of the "Da Vinci Wolves" battalion who recently joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine pose in ammunition during orientation training as Ukrainian soldiers undergo training before being sent to the front in Ukraine on April 8 The country's military seeks to replenish its forces after more than two years of large-scale war with Russia (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)The Polish Defense Ministry said in an email to the Kyiv Independent on July 18 that Ukraine will manage recruitment to the Ukrainian Legion with the scope of Poland's involvement in the project still under discussion The Ukrainian Defense Ministry refused to comment on the Ukrainian Legion and said it would provide more details publicly soon Poland has trained over 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers since the start of the full-scale invasion and the Ukrainian Legion is a logical "next step" for one of Kyiv's biggest allies Army Colonel and former Military Attaché at the U.S According to the Polish Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian Legion's training will draw on Poland's experience from the EU training mission, EUMAM Ukraine. Poland is the only former Warsaw Pact nation in NATO with significant capabilities in training large combat formations like brigades and divisions the legion's formation will build on the experience of the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade created in 2009 to support regional military cooperation which Wojcik believes "should be potentially leading" the efforts refused to comment on the matter in a comment to the Kyiv Independent Legion members will likely undergo 4-5 months of basic "it should have a smaller casualty rate and be more proficient in combat,” he added Ukrainian military expert Mykola Bielieskov argued that even experienced Polish instructors will face a “universal challenge” of providing “high-quality training that would meet the requirements of modern warfare and our battlefield… both with fighters and commanders.” The effectiveness of the Ukrainian Legion will also depend on the equipment they receive Muzyka doubts Poland's ability to fully equip a brigade with mechanized or motorized gear due to the substantial supplies it has already sent to Ukraine According to sources quoted by the Polish media outlet RMF FM, local authorities are in talks with other EU members about contributing funds to finance the training and equipment. Wojcik believes that Poland's efforts to enhance defense cooperation with Germany could lead to Berlin joining in training and equipping Ukrainian Legion fighters Another challenge could arise when the members of the privileged Ukrainian Legion interact with soldiers from regular units formed, trained, and based in Ukraine. Muzyka suggested that rotating Legion members back to Poland might negatively affect the morale of other Ukrainian troops who haven't been rotated for months or Wojcik believes that if issues are addressed and the project gains support from other allies the Ukrainian Legion could significantly reinforce the Ukrainian defense This is not going to raise 100,000 Ukrainians abroad But if you could generate a handful of these brigades in the West that would take some pressure off Ukraine trying to do this at home.” Hi there! It's Dinara Khalilova, the author of this article. If you want to see more reporting like this on Ukraine's efforts to defend against Russian aggression, please consider becoming a member of the Kyiv Independent. We won't be able to do it without your support! Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University. A town in Poland has reversed its decision to become an “LGBT-free zone,” making it the first in the country among the nearly 100 cities and countries that have made similar declarations Polish activist Bart Staszewski was the first to report news that Nowa Dęba’s “LGBT-free zone” designation has been repealed tweeting a photo of a sign he had posted to bring attention to the discriminatory mandate This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from others have pointed out that the council doesn’t seem to have expressed remorse for its actions Instead Nowa Dęba leaders have claimed that their intentions were “misunderstood” by international news coverage of the resolution “We cannot allow anyone to use this [issue] against our municipality,” Diektiarenko told Notes from Poland “We cannot allow anyone to tarnish [our] image by exploiting this declaration.” Additionally, LGBTQ activists have been heavily suppressed by the Polish government, with 48 protestors detained last August in what was subsequently dubbed as “Polish Stonewall.” although Poland’s government has offered its own money to cities that lost out on EU dollars A Third of Poland Has Declared Itself “LGBTQ+-Free.” Activists Want the EU to Step Up“We all suffer when populism and patriarchy rear their ugly heads.”Although the overturning of the resolution is a positive step forward Polish activists stressed that there remains much work to be done as nearly a third of the country is still “LGBT-free.” “We fear that the scapegoat of the coming year will be the transgender community.” Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for them.'s weekly newsletter here. HUNTeR can be used as an autonomous or man-operated UGV The electric motor used to power the vehicle enables it to travel at speeds reaching 50km/h The HUNTeR tested at FEX in Nowa Dęba was equipped with remotely controlled AREX’s GUNMATE ZMU-03 system utilizing a 12.7mm M2HB heavy machine gun and observation device and in addition can be equipped with a small UAV platform such as X-FRONTER During the trial the vehicle was cooperating with various other vehicles such as IFV Wolverine while testing its combat capacities and possibilities of real-time assistance of troops on the ground For the HUNTeR it is only the beginning of testing and development as the platform has the potential to be used for a multitude of tasks After the integration of WB U-Gate Augmented Reality End User Device with the platform HUNTeR gained extensive observation and reconnaissance capability It remains to be seen whether such a vehicle equipped with the ZMU-03 system could be integrated with anti-tank weapons either ATGM or loitering munitions controlled by vehicle operators HUNTeR shows great potential as a support role vehicle dedicated to a variety of combat and non-combat tasks your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt An Irish town has become the latest in Europe to suspend twinning ties with Poland over the country's "LGBT-free zones" The twinning committee in the town of Fermoy has confirmed the decision to officially terminate its links to Nowa Dęba in south-east Poland The move was welcomed by the Cork East branch of the Social Democrats party, who issued a statement on social media we have seen real progress on social issues in recent years including marriage equality," said Saoirse Mackin chair of Social Democrats’ Cork East faction we are empowered to take a firm stance against the discrimination and erasure of the LGBT+ community." added that Fermoy's twinning with Nowa Dęba is "clearly untenable" and said the party was "glad" that Fermoy's twinning committee had terminated the agreement between the two municipalities Fermoy had initially pushed to suspend ties with Poland in March but the decision was delayed for several months Nowa Dęba was one of 80 municipalities in Poland that declared themselves free of LGBT "ideology" in 2019 the mayor of Nowa Dęba defended his community and blamed the declaration against the LGBT community on local city councillors I have never experienced discrimination against anyone on the basis of sexual orientation or other characteristics," wrote Wiesław Ordon on Tuesday there has been no discrimination on the grounds of belonging to an LGBT group" "Nowa Dęba is a tolerant and non-discriminatory commune towards minorities" The Polish mayor also voiced hope that some links would be maintained with the Irish town "I am convinced that my attitude will not break my contacts with the city of Fermoy which for many years has become contacts with people and not institutions," said Ordon "That was our common goal [from the start]" The practice of twinning towns was first conceived after World War II to foster relationships between areas that had fought on opposite sides In February, the French community of Saint-Jean-de-Braye also ended official relations with the Polish town of Tuchów over its attitude to LGBT rights "France is committed to combating human rights violations based on sexual orientation," the local council said in a statement suggesting that the move was part of a local election campaign in France and that many in her community did not support anti-LGBT declarations the town council of Nieuwegein in the Netherlands voted almost unanimously to end its friendship with Puławy Poland is one of just six European countries to not yet legalise same-sex marriage The declaration of "LGBT-free" zones in Poland last year followed a push from the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) Conservative politicians say the declarations protected children and traditional Polish families from a growing gay rights movement But in July, the European Union rejected grants under a twinning programme to six Polish cities because of their attitude to the LGBT community "EU values and fundamental rights must be respected by member states and public authorities," tweeted EU Equality Commissioner Poland responded to the EU's decision by announcing that the state would instead fund "LGBT free" towns Meanwhile, Polish activists have been nominated for the EU's Sakharov Prize for tracking the growth of "LGBT-free zones" in the country 35th Armored Regiment along with Polish counterparts were preparing for the live fire with a set of tabletop drills aimed at proficiency on the M1A2 Abrams soldiers at a Polish base in Nowa Deba are working with a platoon that was among the first in Poland to operate the U.S first the M1A1 and now the more advanced M1A2 The training and upcoming gunnery will “build a model for them to use in the Polish army for the Abrams platform,” Sgt a platoon sergeant assigned to the battalion the Abrams tank serves as the centerpiece of those modernization efforts Poland began receiving the first of its tanks last year and will incorporate 366 of them into its arsenal in the coming years The fleet will be a mix of the M1A1 and the more state-of-the-art M1A2 version Polish officials also announced that a center for maintaining and servicing the tanks will be created in Poznan Army’s first permanent base in the country soldiers are focused on what it takes to get the most out of the Abrams’ firepower Troops in Nowa Deba studied the mechanics of the tank ranging from weapons disassembly and assembly to gunnery-related skills said that the work is paying dividends and that occasional language barriers were being managed tankers are “specialists when it comes to this equipment and we can learn from you and exchange our experiences,” he said This work, Thunderbolts Roll Out The Thunder at Anakonda23, by SPC Jason Klaer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright armored unit’s deployment near Poland’s border with Ukraine culminated this week with a joint live-fire drill that has Polish tank crews testing their aim on their new Abrams tanks It put a capstone on months of training that saw a Polish tank crew qualify on the Abrams The collaboration also broke new ground for an Army mission that is still getting established in the small Polish town of Nowa Deba “We’re the first American unit to be here for the entire rotation,” said Lt commander of the battalion based at Fort Bliss “And so it was kind of this blank canvas that we had to figure out what we can do in terms of NATO partnership what we can do in terms of building relationships.” part of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team is slated to wrap up its nine-month deployment around March The unit is part of the expanded American military mission along NATO’s eastern flank that was put in place following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago blasting rounds on the range has been a top priority for a twofold mission: deterring Russian aggression and enhancing the fighting capabilities of ally Poland the soldiers incorporated Polish platoons into two of the battalion’s tank companies The aim was to get the Poles better acquainted with the finer points of operating and maintaining the Abrams tank which Warsaw is incorporating into its ground force as part of a multibillion-dollar modernization push While Polish troops received initial training on the Abrams from General Dynamics teams that didn’t address all their training needs whose soldiers have been partnered with the Americans said one valuable aspect of the Abrams is its nuclear Such a system is relevant given the uncertainty surrounding what’s happening in Ukraine “You must be prepared for everything,” Wdowiak said Baker hopes the program can be a model for future U.S Training in Nowa Deba has presented challenges for the Americans because the ranges are smaller and have less room to maneuver than they are accustomed to at bases in the United States the ability to shoot on the move with moving targets is more limited as well as the depth of the range,” he said the ranges at Nowa Deba have provided a good foundation to build from as they prepare for their return to Fort Bliss The border with Ukraine is only about 80 miles away so conveying the importance of the mission to the soldiers has been easy “We didn’t just come over here because we’re doing maintenance and we’re shooting gunnery,” Baker said The deployment also brings tangible focus about the purpose of NATO which can be something of a political abstraction for soldiers “Often we think about NATO in terms of diplomatic and high-level security talks,” Baker said “What’s real for us down here is that we’ve got a Polish unit with us that we’re training with day in and day out “We’ve been in the field day and night together This work, Iron Soldiers Train Polish Tank Crews to Qualify on the M1A2 Abram Tank, by MAJ Arturo Rodriguez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, US troops meet and greet local residents in southern Poland, by SGT Brandon Anderson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Councillors in Nowa Dęba vote to undo 2019 ruling amid international outcry I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A town in Poland has become the first in the country to reverse a decision to become an “LGBT+ free zone” amid international outcry at the nearly 100 municipalities in the country that have issued such resolutions Councillors in Nowa Dęba – a town of 11,000 in southeast Poland – voted to undo a 2019 ruling that declared the region “free from LGBT+ ideology”. The resolution, rooted in a religious conservatve interpretation of “traditional” family life, spelt out the town’s determination to “defend against aggressive, deceptive and harmful LGBT ideology” and so-called “homo-propaganda”. In last week’s vote, 10 of the 15 councillors voted in favour of withdrawing the resolution, one abstained, and the remaining four attended the meeting but did not vote. Chairman Damian Diektiarenko, who submitted the motion revoking the declaration, said the council's intentions had been “misunderstood”. He said: “We cannot allow anyone to tarnish the image of the commune by using this declaration.” Bart Staszewski, a filmmaker and Polish gay rights activist who has worked to highlight “LGBT+ free zones”, said: “Council members of Nowa Dęba decided to withdraw the LGBT-free zone bill they declared in late 2019. That is great!” Kuba Gawron, an author and organiser of equality marches in the Polish city of Rzeszów, said he had contacted other local authorities in an effort to overturn similar resolutions. “When the councilors adopted this resolution, they seemed to think it would only reach their local voters,” he told The Independent. “They did not expect that the topic would become international. “That's good the councillors repealed the shameful resolution, but unfortunanely they still don't see anything homophobic in it.” In a statement to The Independent, Polish LGBT+ rights group Stop Bzdurom said: “The resignation of one of the many municipalities does not change the fact that these resolutions are still being introduced [elsewhere in Poland]. “At the present moment, the right-wing government has faced powerful resistance from the lesbian and gay community, and is also facing powerful resistance from women and those fighting for abortion on demand. We fear that the scapegoat of the coming year will be the transgender community.” In October, the Irish town of Fermoy announced it was ending an arrangement that had twinned it with Nowa Dęba over the bill. Noel McCarthy, who is a member of the Fermoy Twinning Committee, said: "We must stand up to people like this. You can not do this in 2020 and be seen to be able to get away with it.” In response, Nowa Dęba’s mayor, Wiesław Ordon, said he had “never experienced discrimination against anyone on the basis of sexual orientation or other characteristics”. Twinned towns in France and the Netherlands have also cut ties with their Polish counterparts in protest at the zones.   At least 100 municipalities or regions, mostly in conservative southeastern Poland, have passed declarations that vowed to keep out “LGBT+ ideology” or adopted “family charters” that backed heterosexual unions. The action forms part of an unprecedented assault on LGBT+ rights in Poland that has gained momentum since 2019 with the establishment of anti-gay “zones”, activists say. In one case, a Polish newspaper distributed stickers with homophobic slogans and a crossed-out Pride flag, while participants at a Pride rally in the city of Białystok were defended by riot police after far-right groups attacked marchers with stones and bottles. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has strongly condemned the situation in Poland, saying “LGBTQI-free zones are humanity free zones. And they have no place in our union”. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Polish authorities to “stop trying to silence activists who support LGBT+ rights”, warning an “overly broad” blasphemy law violates freedom of expression and signals the “further deterioration of the rule of law in Poland”. Under Article 196 of Poland’s criminal code, a person who “offends the religious feelings of others by publicly insulting a religious object or place of worship” faces up to two years in prison. HRW said a wave of arrests in Poland had followed a campaign of placing rainbow flags on prominent public monuments. Kyle Knight, senior LGBT+ rights researcher at HRW, said: “Scapegoating and targeting a vulnerable minority is becoming a routine and nasty part of the government’s playbook, with dangerous repercussions for human rights.” Andrzej Duda, Poland’s president, made the protection of “traditional families” a key campaign theme during his successful re-election last summer. Poland is one of just a handful of countries in Europe that is yet to legalise same-sex marriage. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Jan 29, 2021 | Politics, Society A town has become the first in Poland to withdraw one of the resolutions declaring opposition to “LGBT ideology” that have been passed by many municipalities The head of the local council says it has been “exploited” to damage the town’s reputation the council in Nowa Dęba – a town of around 11,000 in southeast Poland – adopted a resolution pledging to “defend against aggressive deceptive and harmful LGBT ideology” and “homo-propaganda” It was one of around 100 local and regional authorities – often under the control of the nationally ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party – to adopt anti-LGBT resolutions Over half of them refer to “LGBT ideology” (though none explicitly call themselves “LGBT-free zones” a term often used by activists and the media) Polish towns denied EU funding due to “LGBT ideology free zones” Most of the remainder have passed so-called “family charters” that do not directly mention “LGBT” but do reject same-sex marriage and promise to “protect children from moral corruption” – language often used to suggest that the LGBT movement is a threat to Polish youth As a result, some of those localities have seen funds from the European Union and Norway Grants withdrawn while others have found that partner towns in western Europe want to end cooperation Nowa Dęba experienced such a situation last October when the town of Fermoy in Ireland decided to end its twinning agreement due to its Polish counterpart’s anti-LGBT declaration The Cork East branch of the Social Democrats welcome the decision by the Fermoy Twinning Committee to terminate the twinning agreement between Fermoy and the town of Nowa Dęba in Poland which has been designated an “LGBT-Free Zone”. pic.twitter.com/G5XZiW7DQ7 — Cork Social Democrats (@CorkSocDems) October 12, 2020 called criticism of his town “fake news” He noted that it had not declared itself an “LGBT-free zone” and that its resolution on “LGBT ideology” has no legal effect “I tried to explain to our partners [in Fermoy]…that our community is full of tolerance and devoid of discrimination…against anyone on the basis of sexual orientation or other characteristics,” wrote Ordon “We will continue to undertake measures to prevent any behaviour discriminating against any minority including LGBT people,” the mayor continued “This is because of the values ​​of respecting the rights of others and the risk of losing financial support from the EU.” the Nowa Dęba town council finally decided to withdraw its anti-LGBT resolution – becoming the first in Poland to do so Radni Nowej Dęby na Podkarpaciu uchylili obrzydliwą uchwałę tworzącą strefę wolną od LGBT. Tak trzymać! To trzecie stanowisko uchylone przez radnych.Council members of Nowa Dęba decided to withdraw the LGBT-free zone bill they declared in late 2019. That is great! pic.twitter.com/rari1BXtTR — Bart Staszewski ᴸᴳᴮᵀ 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇱 (@BartStaszewski) January 28, 2021 The news was first reported by Bartosz Staszewski, an activist who has become known for placing “LGBT-free zone” signs outside localities that have passed such declarations He celebrated the fact Nowa Dęba had withdrawn its “disgusting resolution” local newspaper Tygodnik Nadwiślański confirmed that the council yesterday voted to repeal the resolution suggested that the resolution has been misunderstood and exploited to harm Nowa Dęba’s reputation “It seems that the council’s intentions have been misunderstood,” said Diektiarenko “We cannot allow anyone to use this [issue] against our municipality We cannot allow anyone to tarnish [our] image by exploiting this declaration.” Polish town votes to remain “free from LGBT ideology” and to consider 5G ban Last year, councils in two other towns that have passed anti-LGBT resolutions – Kraśnik and Świdnik – voted against repealing them the district of Sztum voted to withdraw a family charter (that did not directly mention LGBT) because councillors said it discriminated against single parents or unmarried couples raising children The town of Tomaszów Mazowiecki did the same in November over fears it could lose Norway funds In some cases, Polish courts have also declared anti-LGBT resolutions to be in violation of the constitution though others have rejected such arguments Polish justice ministry compensates “LGBT ideology free” district for lost EU funds Main image credit: Miłość Nie Wyklucza/Flickr (under CC BY-ND 2.0) Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications , , Karol Nawrocki even suggested that the state security services were involved in creating the scandal , , The 1,200 square metre national symbol was unfurled on the beach in Międzyzdroje , , The proportion of Poles saying the US has a positive influence on the world has also fallen to its lowest recorded level Apr 30, 2025 | , , , That response will include “large Polish and NATO exercises in Poland” Apr 29, 2025 | , , , Those employed in Poland work on average the third-longest hours in the European Union Apr 28, 2025 | , , , , Westinghouse and Bechtel were first chosen in 2022 as partners on the 192 billion zloty ($51 billion) project please consider helping us to continue and expand it [email protected] Copyright © 2025 Notes From Poland | Design jurko studio | Code by 2sides.pl Senior Research Fellow at the Global Europe Centre ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Weronika Strzyżyńska is currently studying journalism at Goldsmiths as a Scott Trust Bursary recipient She  has written on issues immigration and Brexit for New Statesman and Prospect Agnieszka Wądołowska is managing editor of Notes from Poland She has previously worked for Gazeta.pl and Tokfm.pl and contributed to Gazeta Wyborcza ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland and assistant professor of history at the Pedagogical University of Krakow The Independent and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Stanley Bill is the founder and editor-at-large of Notes from Poland.He is also Senior Lecturer in Polish Studies and Director of the Polish Studies Programme at the University of Cambridge Stanley has spent more than ten years living in Poland He founded Notes from Poland in 2014 as a blog dedicated to personal impressions cultural analysis and political commentary He is committed to the promotion of deeper knowledge and understanding of Poland He is the Chair of the Board of the Notes from Poland Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor of European Studies at Oxford University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor at the Institute of History of the Jagiellonian University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Executive Director of Taube Family Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Science ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations The Irish town of Fermoy has cut ties with its Polish twin Nowa Deba over a motion opposing “LGBT ideology” in the latest European bid to counter Poland’s increasing homophobic stance European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen defended LGBT rights on Thursday (30 July) after a row erupted over the EU's refusal of grants to towns in Poland accused of discrimination military gives the Polish Army very valuable skills that are extremely important for building the resilience which is required in the context of all that is happening in Europe today soldiers systematically cooperate during a number of military exercises constantly improving the level of interoperability Training at the training ground in Nowa Dęba is one of the elements to strengthen security on NATO's eastern flank - Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said at the training ground in Nowa Dęba On April 12 at the training ground in Nowa Dęba the head of the Ministry of Defense observed the training of Polish and American troops Soldiers from the United States practiced on ABRAMS tanks and BRADLEY combat vehicles while Polish soldiers from the 18th Mechanized Division exercised using KRAB cannon howitzers RAK self-propelled mortars and POPRAD anti-aircraft sets I thank for this very close military cooperation between US soldiers and troops of the Polish Armed Forces We have just seen a demonstration of power but also of very good cooperation between Polish and American forces.  (...) In the middle of this year the first copies of Abrams will go to the equipment of the Polish Armed Forces the "Iron Division" and the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade The task of these tanks will be to seal the Brest gate should the aggressor decide to attack Poland - said the head of the Ministry of Defense Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Blaszczak signed a contract to procure 250 M1A2 Abrams tanks in the state-of-the-art SEPv3 version for the Polish Armed Forces The purchase of the tanks is part of the Polish Armed Forces' modernization plan I planned the development of the Polish Armed Forces A plan of technical modernization was created for the period up to 2035 we are working on its extension to 2039 (...) Our goal is to build the strongest Army in Europe (...) I has approved the largest ever contracts for the purchase of armaments for the Polish Armed Forces in 2019 Himars missiles with a range of up to 300 km in 2020 F-35 aircraft - the most modern aircraft in the world pointed out that Poland is also strengthening industrial cooperation with the US Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Blaszczak referred to his conversation with the vice president of General Dynamics - the company that produces Abrams tanks We discussed the establishment of a service facility for Abrams tanks but we know that other European countries are interested in buying Abrams We also know that the US government has decided to transfer Abrams tanks to Ukraine and probably also a production center when it comes to Abrams tanks in the future.( ...) We have advanced talks with Raytheon as well with the company which is the manufacturer of Javelin anti-tank missiles And again we are on the right track towards locating production of these weapons in Poland Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Blaszczak also mentioned the strengthening of the Polish Armed Forces in terms of the numbers 13,742 new soldiers joined the professional military service This was the largest number since the abolition of mandatory military service It means that our campaign is bearing positive results that there are plenty of people willing to join the Polish Armed Forces and I encourage others to join the Polish Armed Forces - We observed the exercises of the Polish Army soldiers who were transferred from the north-western part of our country to south-eastern Poland so that they could train in this part of Poland which involve the relocation of soldiers and equipment we know that Poland is safe - said Mariusz Błaszczak the Minister of National Defense during a meeting with soldiers participating in the Ryś-21 exercise Minister Mariusz Błaszczak at the training ground in Nowa Dęba met with the soldiers of the 12th Mechanized Division who are training as part of the exercise Ryś-21.In the exercise participate over 4,000 soldiers and over 1,000 units of military equipment - I would like to emphasize that the best answer to the threats that have been are and will be is an action aimed at strengthening the defense capabilities of the Polish Army The answer is to strengthen Poland's security The 18th Mechanized Division is being formed The 16th Mechanized Division performs its tasks Exercises involving the transfer of soldiers from the west to the east are another element showing the interoperability of individual tactical units of the Polish Army - emphasized the head of the Ministry of National Defense The tactical exercise with the troops Ryś-21 is a training undertaking of the 12th Mechanized Division planned one year in advance Several-day manoeuvres at the training ground in Nowa Dęba are held in September The exercise involves sub-units of the 12th Division: 7th Coastal Defense Brigade 5th Artillery Regiment and 12th Command Battalion Ryś-21 is also one of the largest military transfers from north-west Poland to the south-east of the country Over 4,000 soldiers and over 1,000 units of military equipment of the 12th Division from the western provinces regrouped to the training ground in Nowa Dęba Heavy equipment was transported by rail in order to minimize traffic interference on public roads The minister emphasized that in the context of threats from the east increasing the size of the Polish Army is of key importance - We are consistently increasing the number of the Polish Army establishing new units and new tactical associations What is the most important thing in all of this especially in the context of the aggressive policy pursued by the Kremlin in the context of a hybrid attack that took place on the Polish border by the regime that rules in Belarus It is in these contexts that strengthening the Polish Army is the best and only solution The Polish Army is constantly improving its capabilities during national and international exercises testing the skills of operation and cooperation of subunits and divisions of various types of armed forces