The liberal left’s project is in full retreat, and the Americans are returning to a firm, traditional domestic and foreign policy. The new administration is sweeping away further funds for projects that, instead of serving their own country, were advancing ideological visions of changing the world. More and more people are realizing the harm that the Biden administration has inflicted not only on Poland but also on the United States by financing the overthrow of a pro-American government. The issue of censorship and human rights violations by Donald Tusk’s government is now on the agenda.
The shift in the U.S. is so strong that Tusk’s ministers are desperately trying to rebuild connections with the Republicans, portraying themselves as “hidden” conservatives. This is no easy task, given that Donald Tusk himself is considered persona non grata there. He holds no weight in the U.S., nor does he in Europe. Does anyone even remember that Poland is currently—at least formally—holding the presidency of the EU?
Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has been invited several times to speak in the U.S. However, Radosław Sikorski also managed to insert himself into a conservative gathering, seemingly scheming how to sideline Tusk and secure a place for himself in the next global reshuffle. Sikorski was not allowed on stage, but one of the dozens of speakers did acknowledge his presence. That is the extent of the Polish government’s influence here. Pitiful, but this is the current state of government policy.
The Americans are aware that they have made a mess in Poland. The question now is what they will do about it, because they also realize that without Poland, they have a problem in Europe—just as Ukraine now faces a major crisis. Zelensky helped topple Morawiecki’s government and lost his only advocate in the U.S. His last hope is President Andrzej Duda. Now, however, the Ukrainian president is hitting a wall, as the Americans are bluntly asking why they should support him if he is aligning with Germany. The price for lacking friends in Washington is steep, and investing in those relationships is crucial—even if our friends along the Potomac do not immediately grasp everything.