The American Ambassador to Poland has announced that the US will no longer maintain contact with a senior Polish politician as a result of his “outrageous and unprovoked insults” directed against President Donald Trump.
American Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose posted on social media yesterday to say that “effective immediately, we will have no further dealings, contacts, or communications with Marshal of the Sejm Czarzasty”, whose “outrageous and unprovoked insults directed against President Trump @POTUS has made himself a serious impediment to our excellent relations with Prime Minister Tusk and his government”.
“We will not permit anyone to harm U.S.–Polish relations, nor disrespect @realDonaldTrump, who has done so much for Poland and the Polish people,” Ambassador Rose wrote on X.
This comes after Speaker of the Parliament Włodzimierz Czarzasty said earlier this week that President Trump “does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize”.
Late last week, Mr Czarzasty received a request from US House Speaker Mike Johnson and Speaker of the Israeli Knesset Amir Ohana seeking support in nominating President Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize.
However, speaking at a press conference on Monday, Mr Czarzasty said that he would not cooperate with the request as in his view the American president’s contributions represent a “policy of force” that is destabilising international institutions.
“I will not support the nomination for the Nobel Prize for President Trump, because he does not deserve it,” he said, continuing:
“The United States building new platforms like the Peace Council is, in my opinion, illusory. We need to strengthen the European Union, NATO, the UN, WHO, and ourselves. That’s where our security lies.
“In my opinion, President Trump is destabilising the situation in these organisations by representing a policy of force, and he conducts transactional politics through the use of force.
“This involves breaking the politics of principles and values, often violating international law.
“Tariff policies, a different interpretation of history – for example, regarding the participation of Polish soldiers in missions – instrumental treatment of other territories, such as the instrumental treatment of Greenland.
“All of this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I will not support the nomination for the Nobel Prize for President Trump, because he does not deserve it.”
The reference to the participation of Polish soldiers on missions derived from Mr Trump’s recent comments in which he suggested the US had never received anything from NATO, and claimed that NATO allies had not fought on the frontlines during the American-led campaign Iraq and Afghanistan.
The comments generated anger in Poland, with hundreds of Polish soldiers wounded in both countries during their deployment and over 60 killed.
In response to Ambassador Rose’s announcement, Mr Czarzasty later said on social media that he “stood up for Polish soldiers fighting on missions and did not support the nomination of President @realDonaldTrump for the Nobel Peace Prize”.
“I consistently respect the USA as Poland’s key partner. That is why I regretfully accept the statement by Ambassador Tom Rose, but I will not change my position on these fundamental issues for Polish women and men,” he said.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded to the controversy, reprimanding the American Ambassador by saying that “allies should respect, not lecture, each other”.
“At least this is how we, here in Poland, understand partnership,” he said.
Mr Rose, in his response to the Polish PM, said that he assumed the message ought to have been sent to Mr Czarzasty, whose “despicable, disrespectful and insulting comments about President Trump @POTUS were so potentially damaging to your government”.
Describing Poland as a “model ally and great friend of the United States,” he added that “insulting and degrading” President Trump “is the last thing any Polish leader should do”.
“As I’m sure you also know, I will always defend my President without hesitation, exception or apology,” he said.
Mr Czarzasty is the leader of the ‘New Left’ party in Poland, which is a partner in Mr Tusk’s governing coalition.
Formally a member of the then-ruling communist ‘Polish United Workers’ Party’, he has recently been embroiled in a political controversy over alleged Russian contacts.
The spokesman for Polish President Karol Nawrocki made reference to those allegations in his response to the diplomatic conflict, Rafał Leśkiewicz saying yesterday evening that Mr Czarzasty “not only has trouble explaining his eastern social-business contacts, but is also demolishing Polish-American relations”.
“In the times of the PRL, the United States was the greatest enemy for the communists. Times have changed, but the mentality of the post-communist Czarzasty has not.
“Such a Marshal of the Sejm was chosen by the currently ruling coalition, a man who does not understand the weight and importance of alliances,” Mr Leśkiewicz said.