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Poland's president to send aide to Trump's first Board of Peace meeting

17.02.2026 14:30
Poland’s president will be represented by a senior aide at the first meeting of the US-led Board of Peace in Washington this week, the presidential spokesman said on Tuesday, as the government signals it does not plan to join the initiative for now.
Marcin Przydacz
Marcin PrzydaczPR1

Rafał Leśkiewicz, spokesman for President Karol Nawrocki, said on X that Marcin Przydacz, head of the president’s Bureau of International Policy, would attend the February 19 meeting in the US capital on the president’s behalf.

Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk reiterated that Poland does not intend to participate in the Board of Peace "under the current circumstances and conditions."

He said any visit by a presidential representative would be "as an observer," adding that a Polish representative could take part in the talks in that capacity.

Foreign ministry spokesman Maciej Wewiór said the president’s office had asked the ministry to prepare background materials for Przydacz.

He added that the government’s position on Poland’s participation had been outlined by both Tusk and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, and said the initiative required further analysis, pointing to what he described as unclear provisions in the panel's founding charter.

Wewiór said the foreign ministry was ready to assist Przydacz so he would be "equipped with adequate knowledge," adding that the ministry "does not assess" the president’s decision to send his aide rather than attend in person.

Tusk said on February 11 that Poland’s embassy in Washington had received an invitation to the inaugural session of US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace and that Poland would not join the body's work at this stage.

The invitation was also discussed that day at a meeting of Poland's National Security Council convened by Nawrocki.

After the meeting, the head of Nawrocki’s office, Zbigniew Bogucki, said the president had presented his position but that a formal government stance was "still unknown."

The presidential office has argued that the prime minister’s public remarks do not constitute a formal position, state news agency PAP reported.

Speaking later to private broadcaster Polsat News, Bogucki questioned why the prime minister and the government were “avoiding” adopting what he called a formal position supported by foreign ministry analyses.

Sikorski told reporters on Monday that the government’s stance had been "crystal clear," but added that officials were still examining the Board's charter, goals and dynamics.

He also said the government had not received a formal request from the president "to adopt a resolution consenting to the signing of any international agreement."

The Board of Peace initiative has sparked controversy and concerns that it could serve as an alternative to the United Nations, especially as Trump has suggested the body could replace the UN.

Critics have also questioned the list of invitees to the inaugural meeting, who, according to reports, include not only democratically elected leaders but also Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Nawrocki on Sunday reiterated his support for the Board of Peace, saying Poland’s involvement in the initiative would benefit the country.

Trump said on Sunday that the body's first meeting would be held at the US Institute of Peace in Washington.

US President Donald Trump. US President Donald Trump. Photo: EPA/LAURENT GILLIERON

Delegations from more than 20 countries, including heads of state, are expected to attend.

Among Central European leaders, Romanian President Nicușor Dan said in a Facebook post over the weekend that he would participate as an observer.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close Trump ally, said earlier this month that he would travel to Washington for the meeting.

Nawrocki, a pro-Trump conservative, attended the launch of the Board of Peace last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

While he was present at the signing ceremony, he did not sign the initiative’s founding charter, Polish media reported.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the 56th annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. Polish President Karol Nawrocki and US President Donald Trump meet on the sidelines of the 56th annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on January 21, 2026. Photo: Mikołaj Bujak/KPRP

Nawrocki said at the time that Poland viewed participation in the initiative as important but added that any international agreement must fully comply with the country’s constitution and legal procedures.

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Source: IAR, PAP, TVP Info