Donald Tusk in TVN24: we must fully regain control and investigate Russian influence in Poland

Donald Tusk was asked in an interview with TVN24 on Monday about his promise that he would reveal information this week regarding acts of sabotage, diversion and provocation carried out in Poland.

"The crucial thing is to fully regain control over what is happening in the territory of Poland," the prime minister said. "We are regaining this control. There used to be no such control."

Tusk stressed the necessity to thoroughly investigate Russian influence "on what is happening in Poland, also within various levels of government and administration". In his view, it will require a special commission, whose creation he had already announced.

Tusk said that said commission would be officially launched on Tuesday, adding it would not be turned into a media spectacle. "It's important for me that this commission works intensively, in discretion."

"As to the sabotage and diversion, this is a very serious matter. It involves a number of European countries. As of now, with absolute certainly (it's) Lithuania, Latvia, Poland," he continued. "There are signals coming from Sweden that they are worried that some of the unusual incidents could have been a result of sabotage."

Asked about the specifics, Tusk said: "At the moment, we have arrested and charged 9 suspects who were directly involved in acts of sabotage in Poland, ordered by Russian services."

"This includes battery, arson, attempted arson," he explained. "We're talking recruited people. Sometimes these people come from the criminal world. And it equally involves citizens of Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland," the prime minister added.

"There are at least a few people whose actions clearly had the character of political sabotage, and it is the job of the services to eliminate them from public life. The problem is that they were very carefully protected politically by frontline politicians, and therefore this matter must be clarified," Tusk said.

He explained that he meant individuals in Polish politics who were backed either by former minister Antoni Macierewicz or former minister Michał Dworczyk, and "who operated in Poland with complete impunity." He specifically pointed to those who, under Macierewicz's supervision, were involved in the vetting of the Polish Military Information Services (WSI).

"Mr. Macierewicz was surrounded by individuals who essentially disarmed the Polish Army in a way, (and) who dealt a blow to the Polish military intelligence services. Mr. Sykulski (Leszek Sykulski), a known propagator of Putin's policies in Poland, doesn't hide it. He is the author of political statements against Ukraine and in favor of Russia," Tusk noted.

"Colonel (Krzysztof) Gaj. The infamous Mr. Gaj was responsible for personnel in the General Staff and publicly expressed support for Russia and opposition to Ukraine, and yet he was still promoted," he explained.

The prime minister pointed out that Gaj's name appears in both matters related to the "ambiguities" associated with Antoni Macierewicz and the email scandal involving Michał Dworczyk.

"The loop of information we are gathering is tightening around Antoni Macierewicz. And I say this without any satisfaction," he emphasized. "It is truly horrifying that this man had such an influence on what has been happening in Poland over the last several years."

Tusk noted, however, that it was not his task to investigate what was caused by negligence, incompetence or foolishness, and what was deliberate political activity.

Speaking about former judge Tomasz Szmydt who sought asylum in Belarus, the prime minister said: "He was a person hired by Mr. Ziobro (former justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro), hired by PiS to dismantle the Polish judicial system. Such individuals ended up in the most critical positions."