A flare of criticism shocked U.S. President Donald Trump after he welcomed Russian dictator Vladimir Putin with all the honors in Alaska. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski noted that his political rivals, often supporters of Trump’s policies, seem to be “sitting quietly today.”
Trump‑Putin Summit
The summit of U.S. and Russian leaders held overnight in Alaska from Friday to Saturday brought no breakthrough. The meeting began with a warm welcome of Vladimir Putin by Donald Trump at the airport. American media noted that Putin was received with honors typical of a friendly nation, not one that has remained on cold terms with Washington for years. A red carpet was laid out for Putin, who was greeted by Trump with applause. After roughly three hours of dialogue, the talks concluded. At the press conference, the leaders offered only statements, announcing no decisions regarding weapon suspensions in Ukraine.
Sikorski: Why Are They Sitting Quiet?
“Why the ones who were outdoing each other with photos on the pier or the balcony are sitting quietly today?” wrote Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski on the platform X earlier Sunday. The politician was referring to political opponents from the Law and Justice party, many of whom had praised President Donald Trump’s actions. When Sikorski won the presidential election in November last year, some members of the United Right sang “Donald Trump” in the parliament.
“We Talked About Purely Courteous Matters”
“Photos on the pier,” referenced by Sikorski, allude to a 2009 conversation between former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and then Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during Putin’s visit to Poland for the 70th anniversary of World War II’s outbreak. “At the meeting, which lasted a few minutes, we spoke only about purely courteous matters,” Tusk recalled in 2018, describing a brief discussion that alternated between Russian, English and German. He showed Putin where his beach and home were located. Putin talked about the high level of protection in his residence, a point that curbed the conversation’s depth.
Conversation Between Sikorski and Siergiej Ławrow
The balcony mentioned by the Foreign Minister refers to October 2010 photos of Sikorski and Siergiej Ławrow speaking on the balcony of the Royal Baths Palace in Warsaw. Ławrow was in Poland for the Polish‑Russian Cooperation Strategy Committee and for a meeting that led to Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev’s February visit. “I’m not a smoker. We stepped onto the balcony because we were in King Stasi’s booth, which is under strict protection, and Ławrow insisted on smoking,” Sikorski explained in an interview with “Gazeta Wyborcza.”
