U.S. Ambassador Mark Brzezinski: my father loved Poland and wished it all the best

U.S. Ambassador to Poland Mark Brzezinski gave an interview to "Fakty" TVN reporter Katarzyna Kolenda-Zaleska.

YOU CAN WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH AMBASSADOR MARK BRZEZINSKI AT TVN24 GO

Asked about the condition of the rule of law and democracy in Poland, Mark Brzezinski replied: "We have been clear with the Polish government. Just as we have things to work on, the Polish government has things to work on".

"And that’s why we have a continuing dialogue with the Polish government on democracy and rule of law, which is two ways. And that’s why we can do several things at once," he added.

"We’re going to stand with Poland on security and we have 12,600 troops in this country, spread out all across the country for a very specific reason. We are also very clear with Poland about things we both need to work on in terms of democracy, rule of law values," the ambassador said.

"Kasia, I wanted everyone who comes to the residence to see what my father did. Because my father, as a Polish American, used his skills to bring countries together. That’s ultimately what he did, that was his product, he brought countries together," Mark Brzezinski told Katarzyna Kolenda-Zaleska.

"So I framed his two most important medals: the presidential Medal of Freedom, which the highest award any American civilian can get in America, that my father received from president Carter for normalization of relations between China and the United States; and this of course is the Order of the White Eagle that my father received from Poland – the highest order of course in Poland – for brining Poland together with other countries under NATO," he said and presented his father's awards.

"How important it is for Poland to be in NATO especially now, imagine if it wasn’t… So that’s what my father did and I’m proud of him. And I’m trying my best as U.S. ambassador to continue his legacy in bringing countries together," he underscored.

Ambassador Brzezinski was asked if he saw his ambassadorial mission as a special committment. "It means a lot and it weighs heavily on me, I won’t lie to you," he answered.

"It means everything to and my family, because my dad loved Poland and he wanted the best for Poland and he wanted to keep it real," he said.

"In the 1990s, when Poland was emerging as a reborn democracy, many Polish authorities came to him in Washington and asked him: 'what is America going to do to protect Poland?'. And he would always turn to them and say: 'That’s not the right question at all. The question you should be asking yourself is: what is Poland going to do to protect itself?'" - the ambassador said.