A Bruising Diplomatic Ballet

Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski is known for not mincing his words. This report from Newsweek Poland describes how his style has affected relations with the Trump administration

- DOMINIKA DŁUGOSZ

SZUCHA AVENUE, WARSAW, 8 a.m. In front of the entrance to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, Radosław Sikorski greets his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha, who had been in negotiations with the U.S. in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a few hours earlier. Sybiha wants to convey the results of these talks to the Polish government.

"We keep in constant touch, but there is nothing like a direct conversation," says Sikorski after the meeting. He adds that Poland is satisfied with the new proposals to resolve the conflict with Russia, which President Vladimir Putin started over three years ago.

This is their second conversation in a few dozen hours. Keith Kellogg, Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, also contacted Sikorski before leaving for Jeddah.

"The only thing we are afraid of," Newsweek is told unofficially from a senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or MFA, official, "is that [Secretary of State] Marco Rubio and [National Security Adviser] Mike Waltz have agreed on something with the Ukrainians, but it may not be to Donald Trump's liking, to put it bluntly. Of course, they have passed on to Kyiv the expectations of the U.S. president, but perhaps in a milder, slightly more civilized manner, showing a greater willingness to engage in genuine negotiations."

Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Sikorski, a member of Prime Minister Donald Tusk's centrist coalition government, has been staying in constant touch with Trump's advisers for weeks. He has spoken numerous times with Kellogg, Rubio and Waltz. A significant portion of these conversations have not been made public.

"Right now, the most important thing in dealing with Trump and his administration is to maintain dignity, not get too battered and take care of a little of your own business," says a Polish diplomat familiar with the current power dynamics in Washington, D.C.