Yesterday, ahead of the meeting of the National Security Council, mainstream media circulated claims that President Karol Nawrocki had met with the U.S. Ambassador to Poland, Tom Rose, at the Presidential Palace. This narrative was repeated today by the Speaker of the Sejm, Włodzimierz Czarzasty. As the president’s entourage assures – no such meeting took place.
A TVN24 journalist posted on X yesterday, shortly before the start of the National Security Council meeting, a photo with the caption: “The car of the United States ambassador has just left the Presidential Palace. In 2 hours, the NSC will begin, with Speaker Czarzasty among the topics.”
The post was shared by the spokesperson of the New Left (Lewica), Łukasz Michnik, who added a comment: “The instructions have arrived. I wonder if the U.S. ambassador also brought the president a folder…”
This narrative was repeated today during a press conference by the Speaker of the Sejm himself. He said: “I spoke on behalf of the New Left (Lewica) last Monday about the issue related to the Peace Council. The New Left was, is, and will be against Poland and the Polish president joining the Peace Council. I am glad that the government, which the New Left co-creates, has taken the same position. I am very satisfied with that. Today I listened to the prime minister’s statement: ‘our country is a loyal ally of the United States, but we will not be anyone’s vassal.’ I would not be myself if I did not say that I hope the U.S. ambassador will not strike his contacts with the prime minister. If he did, he would no longer have me, nor would he have the prime minister. He would be left only with President Nawrocki. With whom, not by coincidence, the ambassador met two hours before the National Security Council. Mr. Ambassador, Mr. Presidents – I do not know where this meeting came from. And I do not want to know.”
The topic was then picked up by a journalist from Wirtualna Polska. His post reads: “Speaker of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty just stated at a press conference that President Karol Nawrocki met with U.S. Ambassador Tom Rose two hours before the NSC meeting. Officials from the Palace insisted yesterday that this was not the case.”
The entourage of President Karol Nawrocki responded. The president’s spokesperson, Rafał Leśkiewicz, wrote plainly that the president did not meet with the ambassador. He stated: “Ms. Sarah B. Rogers, who was accompanied by Ambassador Tom Rose, attended a meeting with Minister Agnieszka Jędrzak, Undersecretary of State at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland. There is nothing extraordinary in the fact that the ambassador also takes part in a meeting between a senior official of the President’s Chancellery and a senior official of the U.S. administration. This is normal diplomatic practice. Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty still has a lot to learn about the basics of diplomacy.”
The Head of the President’s Office also responded, noting: “Speaker Czarzasty is lying.” He added: “It is not the first time. They lied, they lie, and they will lie. They cannot govern or solve the problems that Poles face every day, so they divert attention from the issues most important to society.”
The Head of the National Security Bureau, Prof. Sławomir Cenckiewicz, commented briefly: “a fabricated story about a meeting with Ambassador Rose versus the real story involving Svetlana Chestnykh…”