US should have shown “respect” by consulting allies on Iran, says Polish presidential aide

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

The chief foreign policy aide of Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who is a Trump ally, has said that the United States should have shown “a minimum of respect” by consulting with its allies before taking action against Iran, especially as President Donald Trump subsequently expected help from NATO allies.

During the same interview today, Marcin Przydacz, who is the head of Nawrocki’s International Policy Bureau, also said that Israel is “certainly violating international and humanitarian law” with its actions in Gaza and Lebanon.

“The situation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, resulting primarily from decisions by Israel and the United States, could certainly have been consulted with NATO allies in advance,” Przydacz told Radio Zet on Wednesday morning.

“If our ally across the pond wants European assistance, then a minimum of respect would require consultation on these matters in advance, not when problems arise,” he added.

Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies for not assisting with various aspects of the war against Iran, in particular in relation to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which is a conduit for around 20% of global oil supplies.

Just a few days ago, Nawrocki himself gave a speech in the US in which he called Trump “a true friend of Poland” and echoed his demands for Europe to spend more on defence.

However, despite expressing his regret that the US did not consult on its actions ahead of the attacks on Iran, Przydacz said that other NATO countries should now considering offering support.

“If we, as Europe, do not help the Americans, then it will be difficult to expect American support later,” he warned. “Later, when help is needed in Europe, Trump can say, “I needed help, [but] you gave me the middle finger, so now don’t expect me to help you’.”

In his speech at CPAC in Texas, Nawrocki he called Trump “a true friend of Poland” and echoed the US president’s demands for Europe to spend more on defence.

Speaking today, Przydacz admitted that NATO was currently facing a “crisis”, noting that “there are clear gaps in trust between the United States and Europe, and between Europe and the United States”.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly declared that, because NATO allies have not helped the US in Iran, they should not expect support if they ever need it.

Later on Wednesday, after Przydacz had made his remarks, Trump issued even stronger criticism of NATO, calling the it a “paper tiger” and suggesting he would considering pulling the US out of the alliance in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.

In response, Poland’s defence minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, called for “cool heads” to prevail.

“There is no NATO without the USA, but there is no strong United States without allies either, without us. It works both ways,” wrote Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on social media.

Meanwhile, in his interview with Radio Zet on Wednesday morning, Przydacz was also asked about Israel’s actions, not in Iran, but in Gaza and Lebanon.

“Israel’s policies are in no way morally defensible,” he replied. “Many actions here are, in my opinion, conducted in violation of the law, humanitarian law, and international law.”

“While Israel has the right to self-defence in the event of a Hamas attack…what has happened in Gaza, what is happening around Israel [in Lebanon], certainly does not” fall under that category, said Przydacz. “Certainly, international law is not being fully respected here.”

Poland’s government, which is regularly in conflict with the opposition-aligned Nawrocki, has criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza, but has not directly accused it of violating international law.

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Marcin Warżawa/KPRP

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.