Polish Premier backtracks on Trump-Russia allegation
Date
11/11/2024 7:07:42 AM
(MENAFN) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has retracted his earlier statement suggesting that US President-elect Donald trump may have been recruited by Russian intelligence. The controversy began when journalist Monika Rutke, from *Tygodnik Solidarnosc* and *Tysol.pl*, questioned Tusk about his March 2023 remark that Trump’s “dependence on Russian services is beyond dispute” and his suggestion that Trump may have been recruited by Russian spies 30 years ago. Tusk initially avoided the question, instead criticizing the opposition and commenting on potential changes in US policy toward Ukraine under Trump. When Rutke insisted, Tusk denied ever making such a statement.
However, Tusk's earlier comments appear to contradict his denial. In March 2023, he had openly claimed that Trump’s ties to Russian intelligence were clear, referencing an investigation by American authorities that suggested Trump may have had longstanding links to Russia. These allegations were part of a broader dossier compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, which emerged in 2017. Although an investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller found some campaign contacts with Russian officials, it concluded there was no criminal conspiracy.
Following Rutke's persistent questioning, she was reportedly blacklisted from future press conferences by Tusk's office. Agnieszka Rucinska, a senior government official, stated that Rutke had only been allowed one question and that her disruptive behavior at the end of the press conference led to the ban. In response, *Tygodnik Solidarnosc* and *Tysol.pl* condemned the government's treatment of Rutke, arguing that she was simply doing her job and was unfairly punished for seeking clarification on an important issue.
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