Washington

Poland’s Duda criticised for chat with Trump in Washington – Euractiv

Published

1 year ago

February 24, 2025

Poland’s Duda criticised for chat with Trump in Washington – Euractiv

WARSAW – Polish President Andrzej Duda faced criticism from the ruling coalition over his meeting with Donald Trump in Washington at a conservative event, with many politicians suggesting that the US leader had snubbed his Polish counterpart.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Convention Centre in National Harbor, near Washington, for a 10-minute conversation that touched on the US military presence in Poland and ending the war in Ukraine, Duda said.

“Backstage at CPAC, President Trump met with President Andrzej Duda of Poland and reaffirmed our close alliance. President Trump also praised President Andrzej Duda for Poland’s commitment to increase their defence spending,” the White House wrote on X.

“There is no fear that the US presence in Poland will decrease. Donald Trump said he would rather expect an increase in the US presence with regard to Poland,” Duda told reporters after the meeting.

In his conversation with Trump, Duda said he tried to stress the strategic importance of NATO’s eastern flank. He also mentioned that he told Pete Hegseth that Poland should move forward with the “Fort Trump” project.

Unveiled in 2018, ‘Fort Trump’ was Poland’s proposal for a permanent US military base on its territory, although the project is yet to be implemented.

According to Duda, Trump acknowledged the project and reassured him that there was no reason for concern as “Poland is one of the most credible allies”, both militarily and economically.

A ‘Slap in the face’

Duda’s visit was criticised by the ruling coalition.

Marcin Bosacki, a Civic Platform MP and member of the parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, condemned the lack of professionalism in the organisation of the meeting, pointing to the long wait and short conversation.

Even though the idea of a Duda-Trump meeting was laudable, “everything was done wrong,” he said on X.

“The Polish president did not present Poland’s position, either at the CPAC conference or […] during a joint press briefing with Trump,” he wrote, adding that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, meanwhile, “used the opportunity to present his own – pro-Russian and anti-European – views.”

“Duda went to the US as a head of state, not as a representative of PiS [the party he used to belong to],” Civic Platform MEP Krzysztof Brejza told Radio Zet, adding that Duda should be treated with the seriousness he deserves and that the visit should have been better planned.

Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, an MEP of the New Left party, pointed out that although the brief meeting could be perceived as a “slap in the face”, any such meeting was valuable in the current situation. “I would urge caution with emotions, because in reality we don’t know what was discussed during the meeting,” she told Radio Zet.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk also said the situation should be treated seriously.

“There is nothing to laugh about. Let’s be serious because the [security] situation is getting really serious,” he said.

‘A friend is not belittled’

The secretary of state in the president’s office, Andrzej Dera, told Polsat News on Sunday that he didn’t think the fact that the conversation was brief indicated a lack of respect for the Polish president, noting that Trump had referred to Duda as a friend.

“A friend is not belittled […] You speak differently with a friend. There’s no need for long hours of negotiations or talks; with a friend, you speak directly and to the point,” he said.

Dera also commented on a post by Donald Tusk, which he saw as a veiled mockery.

“He continuously shows his spitefulness and immaturity in what he does, because the post may seem serious, but it also reveals something that shouldn’t be happening,” he assessed.

Tusk’s government has a frosty relationship with Duda, whom it accuses of favouring his old party, the consevative PiS. It hopes the May elections, in which Duda cannot run for another term due to constitutional limits, will allow it to gain full power in Poland.

The current mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, who is running for president as the candidate of Tusk’s Civic Platform (PO, EPP), is leading the presidential polls ahead of PiS’s Karol Nawrocki.

(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | Euractiv.pl)

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Washington

Washington faces Utah, aims to stop 16-game skid

Published

8 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Washington faces Utah, aims to stop 16-game skid

Washington Wizards (16-55, 14th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (21-51, 14th in the Western Conference)

Salt Lake City; Wednesday, 9 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Washington heads into the matchup with Utah after losing 16 in a row.

The Jazz have gone 13-24 in home games. Utah ranks second in the Western Conference with 16.6 fast break points per game led by Lauri Markkanen averaging 3.3.

The Wizards are 5-29 in road games. Washington is 9-10 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 15.3 turnovers per game.

The Jazz score 117.4 points per game, 6.7 fewer points than the 124.1 the Wizards give up. The Wizards’ 46.1% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.9 percentage points lower than the Jazz have allowed to their opponents (49.0%).

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Jazz won the last meeting 122-112 on March 6, with Ace Bailey scoring 32 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Filipowski is averaging 10.5 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Jazz. Brice Sensabaugh is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.

Alex Sarr is averaging 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and two blocks for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 14.4 points over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 3-7, averaging 116.4 points, 43.3 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 9.9 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.7 points per game.

Wizards: 0-10, averaging 114.3 points, 37.4 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 6.9 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 130.6 points.

INJURIES: Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (hip), Isaiah Collier: out (hamstring), Keyonte George: out (leg), Cody Williams: out (shoulder), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).

Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Tristan Vukcevic: day to day (back), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Alex Sarr: day to day (toe), Tre Johnson: day to day (foot), Kyshawn George: out (elbow), D’Angelo Russell: out (not injury related), Trae Young: out (quad).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Washington

Washington sues USDA, alleging billions in funds illegally withheld

Published

20 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Washington sues USDA, alleging billions in funds illegally withheld

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, alleging the federal agency is illegally withholding billions of dollars in funding and attempting to force states into compliance with unlawful demands.

The complaint, filed as part of a multistate effort, argues the USDA has threatened to cut off critical funding tied to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, unless states agree to federal conditions that exceed the agency’s authority, according to the Washington State Office of the Attorney General.

Other critical programs that would be affected include the school lunch program; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); and the Volunteer Fire Capacity Program.

Brown’s office said the funding at stake supports the administration of SNAP, a federally funded, state-run program that provides food assistance to millions of low-income Americans. Washington alone receives about $129.5 million annually to administer the program, and disruptions could have “catastrophic” consequences for residents who rely on it, according to the attorney general’s office.

In the lawsuit, the state alleges the USDA is effectively holding those funds “hostage” to compel states to comply with federal directives, including demands tied to program data and administration, according to the complaint and accompanying news release from Brown’s office.

The legal challenge contends the USDA’s actions violate federal law, including constitutional limits and statutory authority governing the SNAP program. The coalition of states argues the federal government cannot condition funding on requirements that were not authorized by Congress, according to the complaint.

Brown said the lawsuit is aimed at protecting both funding and the people who depend on it.

“The rule of law is on our side,” Brown said in a statement, adding that the state is seeking to ensure continued support for vulnerable residents and prevent federal overreach.

According to the attorney general’s office, SNAP serves as a key safety net nationwide, delivering billions of dollars in food assistance. States administer the program but rely on federal funding to operate it.

The lawsuit asks the court to declare the USDA’s actions unlawful and block the agency from withholding funds or imposing conditions the states argue are illegal.

The case is the latest in a series of legal challenges involving SNAP, as states push back on what they describe as unprecedented federal demands tied to the program’s operation and funding, according to the Washington attorney general’s office.

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Washington

Washington Nationals acquire infielder Jorbit Vivas

Published

2 days ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Washington Nationals acquire infielder Jorbit Vivas

The Washington Nationals acquired infielder Jorbit Vivas from the New York Yankees in exchange for right-handed pitcher Sean Paul Liñan on Sunday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcement.
Vivas, 25, hit .270 with 21 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 43 RBI, 64 walks, 12 stolen

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