US cuts ties with Polish speaker of parliament over insults against Trump

A diplomatic line was drawn sharply in Warsaw on Thursday after the United States announced it would sever all contact with a senior Polish lawmaker over remarks critical of President Donald Trump.

US Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose said Washington would have “no further dealings, contacts, or communications” with Wodzimierz Czarzasty, the speaker of the lower house of Poland’s parliament, citing what he called “outrageous and unprovoked insults directed against President Trump.”

WHAT TRIGGERED THE DIPLOMATIC FREEZE

Rose did not specify the remarks that prompted the decision. However, Czarzasty said earlier this week that he would not support an initiative by Israeli and American lawmakers to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Czarzasty, a leader of a left-wing party in Poland’s governing coalition led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, went further on Monday, saying Trump “does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize.”

He accused the US president of pursuing “power politics” and “transactional politics” that often involve “breaking international law.”

CRITICISM OF TRUMP AND US POLICY

Czarzasty also criticised Trump for failing to adequately acknowledge the role of Polish soldiers in US-led military missions. He accused Washington of the “instrumental treatment of other territories,” including Greenland.

Those comments placed Poland in an uncomfortable position as it seeks to preserve strong ties with Washington while remaining aligned with its European partners, particularly amid the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

POLAND'S DELICATE BALANCING ACT

Poland has largely managed that balance by dividing responsibilities at the top. Tusk has focused on European Union affairs, while President Karol Nawrocki, backed by the conservative Law and Justice party, has cultivated close ties with Trump.

Nawrocki enjoys a warm relationship with Trump, who endorsed him during last year’s presidential campaign and invited him to the White House soon after he took office. During a meeting in Washington in September, Trump said he had no plans to withdraw US troops from Poland, adding, “We’ll put more there if they want.”

TUKK PUSHES BACK, ROSE DOUBLES DOWN

The dispute escalated publicly when Tusk responded to Rose’s announcement on X, writing that “allies should respect, not lecture, each other.”

Rose replied that while Tusk himself was “a model ally and great friend of the United States,” Czarzasty’s comments were “so potentially damaging to your government.”

Insulting Trump, whom Rose described as “the greatest friend Poland has ever had in the White House,” was “the last thing” a Polish leader should do, the ambassador warned.

POLITICAL FALLOUT INSIDE POLAND

Earlier this week, Nawrocki convened a meeting of a national security body to discuss whether Poland should join Trump’s proposed Board of Peace. The meeting also sought clarification on alleged “eastern business and social contacts” involving Czarzasty — allegations the parliament speaker has denied, saying he has no improper ties to Russia or Belarus.

The Law and Justice party, now in opposition and hoping to return to power in parliamentary elections next year, has seized on the controversy as part of a broader effort to weaken Tusk’s governing coalition.

Czarzasty said on Thursday night that while he respects the United States as a key ally, he would not retract his remarks or change his position.

- Ends

With inputs from Associated Press

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