Poles seek safety in gold investments during troubled times across their eastern borders

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — When COVID-19 hit, long lines formed outside shops selling gold in Poland. Then came Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering another rush for gold in the neighboring country. Piotr Kozik, the manager of a Warsaw shop selling gold bars and coins produced by the Mint of Poland, remembers how the day of Russia’s invasion, Feb. 24, 2022, was Fat Thursday, when Poles gorge themselves on paczki, jam-filled donuts. "On that day there were longer lines for gold at our store than for donuts at the bakery," Kozik said. Poles were shaken by the war across the…