Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has defended his absence from a high-level virtual meeting between European leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening, saying the American side specifically requested that Poland be represented by President Karol Nawrocki.
Speaking at a press conference, Tusk stressed that the government and president had agreed on a common position in line with the Constitution, and that this stance was conveyed to Nawrocki ahead of his talks with Trump.
“In this second part, at the request of the American side, Poland was represented by President Nawrocki. I know this is generating great interest and emotion, and I want to clearly emphasize that we managed to establish a common position,” Tusk said.
The explanation has drawn attention because Italy and Germany were represented by their heads of government, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, rather than their presidents, although both these countries’ presidents are more ceremonial than Poland’s.
💬 Premier @DonaldTusk👇
Wczoraj, tuż przed północą otrzymaliśmy informację, że strona amerykańska woli, by przywódcy prowadzili rozmowę na poziomie prezydenckim. pic.twitter.com/DdZszSMc8d
— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) August 13, 2025Tusk argued that in U.S. diplomacy, presidents are traditionally regarded as primary counterparts, noting that both Presidents Biden and Obama had also preferred presidential-level contacts with Poland. “Yesterday, just before midnight, we received information that the American side would prefer the president to be the Polish side in relations with President Trump,” he said.
The meeting was part of a series of discussions on Ukraine, with Trump reportedly seeking to secure a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv. According to Tusk, the first session involved a core group of leaders — Britain, France, Germany, Poland, and Finland — coordinating a unified European position alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This position was then presented to Trump in the second meeting.
Tusk warned that Russia would try to use peace negotiations to weaken NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe, including in Poland. “Russians would very much like to include… discussions on reducing NATO’s presence… That’s why it’s so important that we build this solidarity and a united group of countries,” he said.
When asked by wPolsce24 television when he would congratulate Nawrocki on his election victory, Tusk replied, “We’re not here to pay each other compliments. I will cooperate with President Nawrocki regardless of my opinion on his views. He must come to terms with the fact that I am the prime minister; I have come to terms with the fact that he is the president.” He added that he had proposed meeting Nawrocki the following day to review developments on the Ukrainian front and in ongoing negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing for showdown talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Alaska on Friday, where tough negotiations are expected to be held with a view to ending Moscow’s ongoing assault on Ukraine.
Commenting on Wednesday’s pre-meeting discussion among European leaders and Trump, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was “very satisfied with the unity of purpose and the capacity for dialogue that the West is demonstrating in the face of a fundamental challenge for security and defense.
“Now is the time to see what Russia’s attitude will be in Alaska, which up to now has not intended to take any significant steps forward,” she added.
