Polish Foreign Ministry clarifies Sikorski-Czarzasty conversation occurred after US ambassador’s post, not before.
MSZ: Conversation Occurred After US Ambassador’s Reaction
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewiór denied information provided by journalist Dorota Gawryluk. As he wrote on social media, Minister Radosław Sikorski and Marshal of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty did talk, but only after the post by US Ambassador to Poland Thomas Rose.
“Almost truth. And ‘almost’ makes a big difference,” Wewiór stated. “Minister Radosław Sikorski and Marshal Włodzimierz Czarzasty talked about the response…but after the ambassador’s post.” He added, “I don’t know with whom this news was ‘consulted’, but if the ultimate argument is that the marshal was reading from notes, then it’s more like ‘almost almost truth’.”
Journalist: It Wasn’t an Individual Decision
Dorota Gawryluk earlier on Polsat News said that the refusal to support Donald Trump’s candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize was not an individual decision by Włodzimierz Czarzasty.
According to her information, the Marshal of the Sejm consulted his statement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, although it was not clear whether he spoke directly with Minister Radosław Sikorski. Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Paweł Jabłoński commented that if Gawryluk’s reports are true, then “the matter is much more serious than it seemed,” and Prime Minister Donald Tusk “is deliberately worsening relations with the US to bring about the withdrawal of American troops from Poland.”
Dispute Over Nobel Prize and US Reaction
Włodzimierz Czarzasty announced his refusal to support the application to award Donald Trump the Nobel Peace Prize during a press conference on February 2. As he explained, in his opinion, the former US president does not deserve this distinction due to pursuing a policy based on force and actions that destabilize international relations.
A few days later, US Ambassador to Poland Thomas Rose announced the breaking of contacts with the Marshal of the Sejm. He stated that Czarzasty’s statements were “offensive and unjustified” and harmed relations between Washington and the government of Donald Tusk.