Poland’s parliamentary speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty has described US President Donald Trump as a friend of Poland but also a “leader of chaos”, urging Warsaw to deal with Washington as an equal partner rather than accept political subordination. Speaking at a Left party convention in Lublin on Saturday, 24 October, Czarzasty also defended continued support for Ukraine, called for sanctions against Russia and warned that Poland must strengthen its own defence capabilities.
Czarzasty, who leads the New Left party and has served as speaker of the Sejm since November 2025, delivered the remarks during the launch of his party’s winter political tour.
The speech addressed growing international security concerns and Poland’s relationship with its most important military ally.
- Find more news from Poland on our Homepage .
According to local reporting by Lublin112, Czarzasty acknowledged the importance of the United States while questioning the predictability of Trump’s foreign policy and Washington’s approach to its European allies.
“President Trump is our friend, but he is a leader of chaos,” Czarzasty said.
He argued that uncertainty surrounding American security commitments made it necessary for Poland to invest more heavily in its own defence while maintaining close cooperation with the United States.
Poland must deal with America as an equal, Czarzasty argues
The parliamentary speaker rejected the idea that cooperation with Washington should prevent Polish leaders from expressing disagreements with the American administration.
He called for a relationship based on mutual respect and the defence of national interests.
“The United States is our partner, not our owner,” he said.
Czarzasty also challenged Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who has developed a close political relationship with Trump, to use his contacts in Washington to secure a permanent American military base in Poland.
The proposal comes amid ongoing discussions between Polish and American defence officials over the future of US military infrastructure in the country.
In a Radio ZET interview on 23 October, Deputy Defence Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said work on selecting a potential location was approaching its final stages.
American officials had examined possible sites and provided assessments, she said, but the ultimate decision remained with Trump.
Czarzasty’s appeal therefore concerned an existing diplomatic and military issue, rather than a newly announced base agreement.
His criticism also reflects a longer-running disagreement with the American administration.
In April, Czarzasty described Trump as a leader of international chaos in an interview with the Financial Times, prompting a sharp response from US Ambassador to Poland Thomas Rose.
Rose accused the parliamentary speaker of harming Polish-American relations, adding to an earlier dispute in February over Czarzasty’s opposition to Trump’s potential nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The latest remarks revive that disagreement, although no new response from the US Embassy specifically addressing Saturday’s speech had been identified during this review.
Ukraine must decide its own future, speaker insists
Much of Czarzasty’s speech focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the consequences for Polish security.
He condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin, supported maintaining economic sanctions against Moscow and argued against allowing major powers to determine Ukraine’s future without Ukrainian participation.
Czarzasty specifically criticised the possibility of discussions involving China, Russia and the United States that would exclude Kyiv or the European Union from decisions about Ukraine’s future.
He compared the prospect with the 1945 Yalta Conference, where the major Allied powers made decisions affecting post-war Europe, including Poland, without meaningful Polish participation.
His remarks were an objection to the diplomatic scenario he described, not confirmation that such a negotiating format had been formally agreed.
The parliamentary speaker also stressed that Polish support for Ukraine served Poland’s own national security interests.
He argued that Ukrainian resistance was giving Poland additional time to strengthen its armed forces, acquire equipment and develop its international alliances.
Czarzasty acknowledged unresolved historical disputes between Poland and Ukraine, particularly the wartime massacres of Polish civilians in Volhynia.
Speaking after controversy surrounding a decision by regional authorities in western Ukraine to commemorate the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and Roman Shukhevych, Czarzasty said Poland would not forget the historical issues involved.
Nevertheless, he argued that those disagreements should not undermine cooperation with Ukraine while it continued resisting Russia’s invasion.
As Radio Lublin reported from the convention, Czarzasty distinguished between Poland’s historical grievances and the immediate strategic importance of Ukraine’s independence.
He also defended the financial and military assistance Poland has provided to Kyiv, arguing that the country’s resistance reduces the security threat facing Poland itself.
Defence of EU membership
Czarzasty also used the speech to defend Poland’s place in the European Union, presenting European integration as an essential element of the country’s security and international influence.
He argued that Poland could disagree with individual EU policies while still recognising the benefits of membership.
The speaker warned against political movements advocating withdrawal from the bloc, suggesting that a Poland outside the European Union would become more vulnerable to Russian influence.
His remarks included criticism of several politicians on the Polish right, including figures associated with Law and Justice and Confederation.
Czarzasty argued that the combined political and economic influence of EU countries allowed smaller European states to negotiate more effectively with major powers.
He presented NATO membership, European integration and national defence investment as complementary elements of Poland’s security.
Those positions broadly reflect Poland’s established commitment to both NATO and the European Union, although the speaker’s specific criticism of Trump and domestic opponents remains his own political position.
A debate over Poland’s relationship with Washington
Czarzasty’s remarks come at a time when European governments are debating how to maintain American security commitments while accepting greater responsibility for their own defence.
Poland has been among NATO’s highest-spending members relative to economic output, reflecting its proximity to Ukraine, Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad region.
Successive Polish governments have regarded the American military presence as an essential component of national security, while also expanding Poland’s own armed forces.
That relationship remains central despite differences between Polish political leaders over how openly to challenge the Trump administration.
Czarzasty’s comments were delivered at a New Left party event, rather than as a formal government foreign-policy announcement. They do not represent a decision to alter Poland’s alliance with the United States.
Nevertheless, they show how one of Poland’s most senior constitutional officials is approaching the challenge of maintaining close American ties while responding to uncertainty over Washington’s international priorities.
His central argument was that Poland should remain committed to its transatlantic alliance, but should not depend on it without strengthening its own military capabilities and European partnerships.
