International news agencies reported that Poland on Saturday opened a channel from the Baltic Sea to Lake Wyslahav, a lagoon along the coast of Poland and Russia’s Kaliningrad province. Previously, ships to and from the port of the Polish city of Elblag had to sail around Russian waters around Kaliningrad, which required permission from Russia.
The first ships sailed through the canal on Saturday under the guidance of brass band music. However, the canal was not fully completed: to allow larger cargo ships to pass, it had to be dug deeper. This is expected to cost 100 million zlotys (21 million euros), on top of the 2 billion zlotys (0.4 billion euros) that Poland has already spent on the work. Polish President Andrzej Duda Call Saturday’s inaugural day, however, was a “big victory”.
Russia has previously used the reporting website to put pressure on Poland. In 2006, Russia blocked ships from accessing the port for several years, according to Poland Because of anti-Russian rhetoric issued by the government at that time. So it is no coincidence that the canal preventing such a blockade in the future was opened on the day Russia invaded Poland 83 years ago.
Also read this report from 2009: waiting for the sea
