Max Tani and Alex Thompson | Politico

Starting a new job as a diplomat at the fault line of Russian territorial ambition just a few days before the outbreak of the biggest war in Europe since World War II is not ideal. But that’s the hand MARK BRZEZINSKI was given.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has transformed the ambassador to Poland, once an important but lower-profile State Department assignment, into one of America’s key diplomatic roles. Less than two months after being officially sworn in, the longtime diplomat and scion of famous Polish-America foreign policy expert and former national security adviser ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI (and brother of Morning Joe host MIKA BRZEZINSKI) is now helping craft U.S. policy around the most extreme refugee crisis in decades on top of tense negotiations around military equipment transfers and security threats.

“The job has changed pretty dramatically in the past month,” said STEPHEN MULL, a former Obama administration ambassador to Poland and close colleague of Brzezinski’s.

Over the past few weeks, Brzezinski has become the main escort for a never-ending parade of U.S. and international officials arriving daily into Poland. He’s led tours with top congressional leaders and military officials like UK Prime Minister BORIS JOHNSON. On Wednesday, he’ll welcome Vice President KAMALA HARRIS, who officially swore him in just a few weeks ago. He’s also been given the task of reassuring the country, which is a member of NATO, of America’s commitment to the alliance. Most recently, he’s helped the U.S. navigate the complicated attempts to provide fighter jets to Ukraine, an exchange the Pentagon pretty much nixed today.

When Brzezinski was nominated for the job last year, the future of U.S.-Polish relations were uncertain. While Poland remains a strong U.S. military ally and NATO partner, the relationship has been strained in recent years. American diplomats and experts expressed alarm at the country’s backsliding on democratic norms, civil rights, and freedom of the press, which Brzezinski was immediately expected to tackle.

Multiple people familiar with the process told West Wing Playbook that the Biden administration and Democratic allies in Congress were keen on getting him confirmed quickly to lobby Polish President ANDRZEJ DUDA to veto a law that would have forced American media giant Discovery to divest from its popular Polish news network TVN — a law that many U.S. officials said amounted to political censorship.

Brzezinski was confirmed before being officially sworn in by Harris in January. Immediately after, he became an intermediary between the Biden administration, the Polish government, and Discovery CEO DAVID ZASLAV. Discovery’s chief comms officer DAVID LEAVY said Zaslav came away impressed with Brzezinski’s knowledge of the issue and ability to help get the network’s license renewed.

Multiple former ambassadors to Poland told West Wing Playbook that the resolution was serendipitous, as it improved communications channels between the U.S. and Poland right before the crisis in Ukraine erupted.

Brzezinski’s challenges now are far more complicated. But his supporters say he’s well positioned to navigate the crisis. He speaks fluent Polish and served as ambassador to Sweden during the Obama administration. His Polish-focused scholarship helped him get through a senate confirmation process that was contentious for other Biden nominees. And his family name carries weight in some of Poland’s political circles, where many people are familiar with his father’s history.

DANIEL FRIED, a former US ambassador to Poland who is currently a fellow at The Atlantic Council, said that the world of former Warsaw ambassadors is small, and he and other members of the cohort keep in regular touch with Brzezinski to talk shop. In recent weeks, the two have discussed the current minutiae of Polish politics, with Brzezinski taking particular interest in party politics and the country’s up and coming politicians.

“He’s a superbly qualified ambassador, and he’s the right man at the right time,” Fried said.

The U.S. embassy in Poland has also become an increasingly important venue in the Ukraine crisis due to other diplomatic gaps. The U.S. still does not have an ambassador to Ukraine, despite having settled on a candidate for the job. U.S. embassy officials in Ukraine evacuated to Poland earlier this year amid invasion fears, and much of their work is being run out of other parts of the federal government, including the embassy in Poland.

While the lack of an ambassador has raised eyebrows, some observers say it likely isn’t inhibiting the work.

In a conversation with POLITICO last week, former European Union ambassador GORDON SONDLAND—no stranger to dicey Ukrainian politics—said he’d been impressed by the general response in Europe to the Russian invasion. He said that while he had some complaints about Biden’s approach to the region, and found the lack of a Ukrainian ambassador confusing, he felt that the White House was managing the diplomatic gaps.

“Events have overtaken everything and the National Security Council, the National Security Adviser, is probably in touch with Zelensky right now,” said Sondland, who said he has remained in touch with Zelensky’s advisors on the ground. “I think given where we are at this current moment, they’re handling the communications just fine.”

Source: Politico