Polish Prime Minister Retracts Statement on Trump-Russia Allegation
Donald Tusk had previously indicated that the Republican might have had connections to Moscow, but he now asserts that this was never the case. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has reversed his previous assertion suggesting that US President-elect Donald Trump may have been recruited by Russian intelligence. The situation intensified when journalist Monika Rutke, who sought clarification from Tusk on this matter, reported being blacklisted by his office, igniting a media uproar in Poland.
The controversy began on Thursday when Rutke, from Tygodnik Solidarnosc and Tysol.pl, confronted Tusk regarding his earlier comment that Trump, as paraphrased by Rutke, “may have almost agent-like ties with Moscow.” She asked if he believed Poland and the US could maintain good relations in light of this. Tusk evaded the question, targeting the opposition instead, and reflected on potential shifts in US policy toward Ukraine under Trump. When pressed further, Tusk asserted that he “had never made such suggestions.”
However, this assertion seems inconsistent with Tusk's earlier statements. In March 2023, he remarked that Trump’s “dependence on Russian services is beyond dispute,” linking this to an investigation by American special services that suggested “Trump was actually recruited by the Russian services 30 years ago.”
Many of the claims regarding Trump’s connections to Russia originated from a dossier created by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, which became public in 2017. Although a comprehensive investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller found contacts between some members of the Trump campaign and Russian officials, it ultimately uncovered no evidence of a criminal conspiracy.
After Rutke sought clarification from Tusk, she reportedly received a message from Agnieszka Rucinska, the undersecretary of state in the chancellery, stating that she was barred from attending future conferences with the prime minister. Rucinska attempted to downplay the incident, contending that Rutke was permitted only one question and complained that the journalist “started screaming at the end of the conference,” accusing her of “spreading lies” about what transpired.
In response to the situation, Tygodnik Solidarnosc and Tysol.pl released a joint statement criticizing the Polish government’s handling of the affair. They emphasized that Rutke was simply “doing her job” and was “punished” for attempting to clarify Tusk’s non-response.
“[This] is an absolute scandal and is evidence of the deep dysfunction of the current government in terms of understanding the basic rules of the democratic world,” the statement declared.
The outlets also indicated they might pursue legal avenues, including filing a complaint with the prosecutor’s office, and urged Tusk to dismiss Rucinska from her position.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
The controversy began on Thursday when Rutke, from Tygodnik Solidarnosc and Tysol.pl, confronted Tusk regarding his earlier comment that Trump, as paraphrased by Rutke, “may have almost agent-like ties with Moscow.” She asked if he believed Poland and the US could maintain good relations in light of this. Tusk evaded the question, targeting the opposition instead, and reflected on potential shifts in US policy toward Ukraine under Trump. When pressed further, Tusk asserted that he “had never made such suggestions.”
However, this assertion seems inconsistent with Tusk's earlier statements. In March 2023, he remarked that Trump’s “dependence on Russian services is beyond dispute,” linking this to an investigation by American special services that suggested “Trump was actually recruited by the Russian services 30 years ago.”
Many of the claims regarding Trump’s connections to Russia originated from a dossier created by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, which became public in 2017. Although a comprehensive investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller found contacts between some members of the Trump campaign and Russian officials, it ultimately uncovered no evidence of a criminal conspiracy.
After Rutke sought clarification from Tusk, she reportedly received a message from Agnieszka Rucinska, the undersecretary of state in the chancellery, stating that she was barred from attending future conferences with the prime minister. Rucinska attempted to downplay the incident, contending that Rutke was permitted only one question and complained that the journalist “started screaming at the end of the conference,” accusing her of “spreading lies” about what transpired.
In response to the situation, Tygodnik Solidarnosc and Tysol.pl released a joint statement criticizing the Polish government’s handling of the affair. They emphasized that Rutke was simply “doing her job” and was “punished” for attempting to clarify Tusk’s non-response.
“[This] is an absolute scandal and is evidence of the deep dysfunction of the current government in terms of understanding the basic rules of the democratic world,” the statement declared.
The outlets also indicated they might pursue legal avenues, including filing a complaint with the prosecutor’s office, and urged Tusk to dismiss Rucinska from her position.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
