Following reports of possible changes to the U.S. military presence in Europe, an intense exchange of statements is underway between the Presidential Palace and the government. Marcin Przydacz emphasizes that President Karol Nawrocki spoke with the U.S. president on the matter. “What is needed, however, is an urgent change in rhetoric from the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Sejm. It is doing great harm and plays into the hands of those who would like to limit the allied presence on the eastern flank,” Przydacz explains.
The head of the President’s International Policy Bureau, Marcin Przydacz, said that President Karol Nawrocki had spoken with the U.S. president about the presence of allied troops in Poland “just a few days ago.” He stressed that the arrangements made during that conversation remain in force, and that the President’s Office remains in constant contact with the National Security Council and the White House.
Przydacz assessed that, in the current situation, what is crucial is a “proactive stance from the Ministry of National Defence” and urgent talks with the Pentagon, since it is the U.S. Department of War that is sending signals which, in his view, are causing concern in Poland. At the same time, he criticized the actions of some politicians, accusing them of focusing on image rather than on real diplomatic efforts.
“What is needed, however, is an urgent change in rhetoric from the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Sejm. It is doing great harm and plays into the hands of those who would like to limit the allied presence on the eastern flank,”
Przydacz wrote.
The comments came after reports by Reuters, CNN, and the NOTUS portal. According to these sources, the Pentagon was said to have halted the rotation of 4,000 troops to Poland, to be considering a reduction of U.S. forces in Europe, and to be weighing a downgrade in the status of the command of U.S. Army forces in Europe and Africa. However, the National Security Bureau and the Ministry of National Defence assure that the decisions are logistical in nature and do not directly concern Poland.
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Przydacz recalled that until 2015, no larger allied forces had been stationed in Poland, while since 2016 their number has risen to more than 10,000. In his view, the current tensions in relations between the Ministry of National Defence and the Pentagon also stem from the political actions of Donald Tusk and Włodzimierz Czarzasty.