Polish government spokesperson Adam Szłapka responds to US Ambassador Tom Rose’s criticism of Polish politicians’ remarks about President Trump.
Polish Government on US-Poland Relations
On January 10, government spokesperson Adam Szłapka commented on the diplomatic crisis between Warsaw and Washington. “The best comment is that we must respect our partners, but also ourselves,” he stated. Szłapka emphasized that many PiS politicians do not respect themselves or Poland, highlighting the importance of the concept of independence.
“We are an independent, sovereign state. If we want to be respected by our partners, let us also respect each other,” Szłapka added. He concluded by stating he did not see a crisis in the relations.
US Ambassador: “We Will Not Accept Scandalous Insults”
In an interview published on February 11, “Rzeczpospolita” journalist Jędrzej Bielecki asked US Ambassador Tom Rose about the details of the severed contacts with Włodzimierz Czarzasty. “We will not accept or tolerate scandalous insults toward our president,” Rose stated.
While acknowledging that every Pole has the right to share their opinions, Rose emphasized that the U.S. also has the right to react to such opinions. He noted that ten years after Donald Trump took office, it’s easy to understand that personal attacks on the president are not productive.
Diplomatic Dispute Goes Beyond Nobel Nomination
Ambassador Rose clarified that the breaking of contacts with Włodzimierz Czarzasty is not only about the refusal to support Donald Trump’s Nobel nomination. “That’s not everything he said,” Rose added, though he did not specify which particular words of the Marshal of the Sejm he was referring to.
