US ambassador's highly undiplomatic remarks spark controversy in Poland

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A diplomatic incident has stirred up controversy in Poland. It began when Thomas Rose, the US ambassador in Warsaw, announced on February 5 that he would sever all contact with the president of the lower house, Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, who leads the left-wing party Nowa Lewica (New Left). The role of marshal of the Sejm – the Polish title for president of the lower house – is regarded as the second most important position in the country, after the president.

What prompted this undiplomatic outburst on the social network X? Three days earlier, at a press conference, Czarzasty had refused to back Donald Trump's candidature for the Nobel Peace Prize. "He does not deserve it," the MP concluded, lamenting that the US president relied on the "use of force" that often "broke international law." The US ambassador, who has held the post since November 2025, described these remarks on X as "outrageous insults" that "seriously" harmed the "excellent relations with Prime Minister [Donald] Tusk and his government."

Tusk reacted quickly, reminding the diplomat that "allies should respect each other, not lecture each other." Rose countered, calling Czarzasty's comments "despicable, disrespectful and insulting."