A sharp diplomatic exchange between the United States and Poland escalated this week after US Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose publicly cut off contact with Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty and later appeared to threaten the withdrawal of American troops from Polish soil.
The controversy began after Czarzasty, a leader from the center-left New Left party, declared he would not support any nomination of US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
“I won’t support the application for a Nobel prize for Trump because he does not deserve it,” Czarzasty said, accusing Trump of pursuing “transactional politics” and power-based diplomacy. He also criticised US-led initiatives on Gaza and took issue with Trump’s past remarks on Greenland and Europe’s role in Afghanistan.
In response, Ambassador Rose announced on X that the US embassy would have “no further dealings, contacts, or communications” with Czarzasty, accusing him of making “outrageous and unprovoked insults” against Trump. Rose said such comments risked harming US–Poland ties and described Trump as “the greatest friend Poland has ever had in the White House.”
PM Tusk drawn into online clash
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk soon weighed in, posting that “allies should respect each other, not lecture each other.” Rose fired back in a pointed reply, suggesting Tusk’s message may have been “sent by mistake” and reiterating his commitment to defending the US President “without hesitation, exception or apology.”
The situation intensified when a Polish law student criticised the ambassador online, writing, “God, protect us from such friends. We can handle our enemies on our own. Poland has never stayed a little back and will never accept an American dictate. The Polish Nation respects its sovereignty. Go home.”
From his private account, Rose responded: “Should we take all our soldiers and equipment with us?” The post was later deleted, but screenshots circulated widely.
Public backlash
The remarks triggered disbelief and anger among sections of the Polish public, particularly given Poland’s strategic importance as a NATO frontline state bordering Russia and Ukraine. Czarzasty said he regretted the ambassador’s decision but would not change his stance on “fundamental issues.”
Poland has been among Ukraine’s staunchest supporters within the EU, while remaining wary of Trump’s overtures toward Moscow.
The row has also intensified speculation in some Polish media that pro-Trump political groups are trying to destabilise Poland’s ruling coalition, further straining an already tense diplomatic situation.
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