The United States embassy will have “no further dealings” with the Speaker of the Polish parliament after claims he insulted President Donald Trump, its ambassador said on Thursday.
Tom Rose said the decision was made because of Wlodzimierz Czarzasty’s “outrageous and unprovoked insults” against the US leader.
“We will not permit anyone to harm US-Polish relations, nor disrespect (Trump), who has done so much for Poland and the Polish people,” Rose wrote on X.
On Monday, Czarzasty rebuked a joint US-Israeli proposal to support Donald Trump’s candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize.
“I will not support the motion for a Nobel Peace Prize for President Trump, because he doesn’t deserve it,” he told journalists.
Rather than allying itself more closely with Trump’s White House, Czarzasty argued, Poland should “strengthen existing alliances” such as NATO, the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
He criticised Trump’s leadership, including the imposition of tariffs on European countries, threats to annex Greenland, and, most recently, his claims that NATO allies had stayed “a little off the front lines” during the war in Afghanistan.
“This is a breach of the politics of principles and values, often a breach of international law,” said Czarzasty.
After Rose’s reaction, Czarzasty told local news site Onet: “Since the ambassador’s statement was issued in connection with my position regarding my lack of support for President Trump’s candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize, I maintain my position on this matter.”
He later added on X: “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.”
The speaker heads Poland’s New Left party, which is part of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-European governing coalition, with which the US ambassador said he has “excellent relations”.
It is currently cohabitating with conservative-nationalist President Karol Nawrocki, a vocal Trump supporter.
In late January, Czarzasty, along with several other high-ranking Polish politicians, denounced comments by Trump that the United States “never needed” NATO allies.
The parliamentary leader called the claims “scandalous” and said they should be “absolutely condemned”.
Forty-three Polish soldiers and one civil servant died as part of the US-led NATO coalition in Afghanistan.
Cutting ties is not how diplomacy work but I assume, lately ambassador positions being based on individual donations to elections and not at all on his diplomatic talents, this is understandable.