Commenting on President Karol Nawrocki’s first foreign trip, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. Zbigniew Rau described its outcome as a “spectacular success.” Referring to the previously very good relations between President Donald Trump and Andrzej Duda, he stated that “we are dealing not only with their continuation, but looking at what happened in the White House, this is continuation plus.” He emphasized at the same time that the government should support President Nawrocki, “and certainly not undermine him.” “Because this is nothing less than about the Polish raison d’état, and every politician is obliged to serve this raison d’état,” added the former head of Polish diplomacy.
During his first international trip after taking office, President Karol Nawrocki traveled to the United States, where Donald Trump made a very important declaration for Poland. He assured not only the continued presence of American troops in our country, but also did not rule out increasing their numbers. During bilateral talks in the format of a working breakfast, issues related to energy security and countering threats from Russia were discussed. The continuation of defense cooperation was also on the agenda.
After his visit to the US, the President went to Rome and the Vatican, where he met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, President Sergio Mattarella, and then, together with his family and members of the official delegation, attended an audience with Pope Leo XIV.
A special visit to the US
Assessing the results of President Nawrocki’s meeting with Donald Trump, Zbigniew Rau pointed out that “even during the campaign as a candidate, the President was received in the White House.”
“That was an unprecedented situation. And now, again in such a short period of time, he was invited in a very official capacity, as evidenced, among other things, by being granted use of the Blair House residence near the White House. This was done to honor him as a very special guest,” assessed the former Foreign Minister (MSZ).
“And at the same time, absolutely fundamental issues were put on the table. On the one hand concerning security – both military and energy – but on the other hand issues that clearly strengthen our position vis-à-vis the United States. But also within NATO as a country which in the history of Poland – let’s be frank – apart from the Golden Age in the 16th and early 17th century, has never been stronger. This is a spectacular success,” he emphasized, pointing to “the visible chemistry between the two presidents.”
Asked about the possible impact of President Nawrocki’s visit to Washington and the potential influence of good relations with the American administration on his position on the international stage, Prof. Rau drew attention to the current role of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who “from Washington’s perspective is a politician very favorable to transatlantic relations, especially when compared with the palette of EU leaders.”
“But it is obvious that President Nawrocki has a chance to surpass her in this competition if everything goes well. Because it is also a matter of political credibility when it comes to allocating resources for defense – and here Poland, also due to its geographical location, is an absolute champion,” he argued.
“To put it bluntly: we are the direct guardian of the United States’ position in the world, because if the Russians were to defeat Ukraine or continue hybrid war – or God forbid, a non-hybrid war against NATO – then our determination and resolve in defense means that, looking at the global security architecture from Beijing’s perspective, concessions on NATO’s eastern flank to Russia or the defeat of Ukraine would simply be an encouragement for kinetic solutions against Taiwan. If we show determination here – and this cannot be done without Poland – then we prevent the worst on a global scale. And it is hard to compete with us in this regard, and I think President Trump sees this quite clearly. Hence his announcements not only of keeping American soldiers, but also of increasing their numbers, as well as changing the formula of deployment into permanent presence. From the American perspective, we are extremely important here,” explained Zbigniew Rau.
Something more than continuation
Our interlocutor pointed to the meeting of European leaders at the White House that preceded Karol Nawrocki’s visit. “Such a picture: on one side President Trump sits at his desk in an ergonomic chair – on the other side, European leaders sit in ergonomically less comfortable conditions. On the other hand, we have the image of President Nawrocki hosted in the Oval Office of the White House in the same place. I think this reflects the essence of our current position from the perspective of the United States and Donald Trump’s administration,” he assessed. Referring to the previously very good relations between President Donald Trump and Andrzej Duda, he stated that “we are dealing not only with their continuation, but looking at what happened in the White House, this is continuation plus.”
Asked how he sees the role of the current Polish government in continuing and supporting President Nawrocki in building good relations with the United States, Prof. Rau emphasized that he would like to assess this not as a politician, “but simply as a citizen.“
“We can see how he handles himself, how he is treated, with what reverence – whether across the Atlantic or during this visit in Rome – President Nawrocki. At the same time, we see from interactions with EU partners how Prime Minister Tusk is treated. Here it is enough to mention the trip to Kyiv or the very recent case – his reception at the Élysée Palace, where he was greeted by some official rather than President Macron. And let us add how and why Prime Minister Tusk is treated across the Atlantic. And gestures matter greatly in diplomacy,” he stressed.
“From the perspective of a citizen who identifies with Poland’s raison d’état, who observes in these difficult times, when movements are occurring – God willing, not yet tectonic, but significant and distinct – in the architecture of global security, we should expect seriousness, effectiveness and assertiveness in foreign policy from our state. So that this policy, like any other state policy, serves the Polish raison d’état in the best way. The conclusion is this: the government should stand behind the President, support him, and certainly not harm him through obstruction, jabs, or complaints about when notes from this or that visit arrived, while not sending such notes itself as it should. Because this is nothing less than about the Polish raison d’état, and every politician is obliged to serve this raison d’état,” Prof. Zbigniew Rau summed up.