Confirmation of the Washington meeting

Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed during a press briefing in Kraków on 1 October 2026 that he held a direct conversation with US President Donald Trump at the White House on 2 March 2026. The exchange took place during an official visit to Washington and involved logistical assistance from the Chancellery of Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Law and Justice (PiS) Member of the European Parliament Adam Bielan.

Speaking on Radio RMF24 on 2 October 2026, Bielan explained that the interaction was a substantive discussion rather than a passing encounter.

“Yes, I was among the people who organised that meeting. It was a conversation that lasted several dozen minutes, so it was not an accidental, few-minute meeting.”

Origins at the Medal of Honor ceremony

The March meeting occurred during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, where Trump posthumously presented the Medal of Honor to US Army Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis. Ollis died on 28 August 2013 during an insurgent attack on a military base in Ghazni, Afghanistan, where he shielded wounded Polish Army officer Karol Cierpica with his own body. Kosiniak-Kamysz and Cierpica, now a reserve captain, attended the presentation in Washington.

On the same day, Ollis's family received the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, awarded by President Nawrocki following an application submitted by Kosiniak-Kamysz. Following the ceremony, the defence minister met privately with the US president.

“We were at the White House then, President Trump presented this medal, and later, here also with the involvement of the Presidential Chancellery, I had the opportunity to speak for a moment with President Trump, for which I thank very warmly.”

Domestic dispute over diplomatic channels

The revelation surfaced following a public exchange between Polish coalition officials and the opposition. On 23 September 2026, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Stanisław Bukowiec spoke on Polsat News regarding the postponement of a planned visit by Kosiniak-Kamysz to the Pentagon. Bukowiec referenced past remarks by Bielan, who had warned that domestic disputes over Poland's Constitutional Tribunal could prompt the US administration to reconsider military investments, including American base construction.

In response on the social platform X, Bielan rejected claims that he hindered ministerial contacts, stating that he helped arrange a meeting with a figure far higher in rank than US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Presidential advisor Nikodem Rachoń subsequently told Polsat News that the Presidential Chancellery worked to maintain bilateral defence cooperation across party lines. When asked why Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski was not briefed on the March discussion, Bielan placed the responsibility on the defence minister.

“Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz was a participant in this meeting. If Radosław Sikorski was not informed about it, let them explain it among themselves within one government and one political camp.”

Rescheduling of Pentagon talks

The March meeting preceded the postponement of ministerial talks scheduled for 23 September 2026 in Washington. The Polish Ministry of National Defence had announced that the meeting with Pete Hegseth was deferred at the urgent request of the United States. The Pentagon subsequently stated to the Polish Press Agency that the postponement resulted from a scheduling conflict and that the talks would be rescheduled for a later date.