Braun ally attends Russia Day reception at Moscow's embassy in Warsaw, calls for 'normalisation' of relations

The reception

On 11 June, the Russian embassy in Warsaw hosted a reception marking Russia Day, the Russian Federation's national holiday celebrated on 12 June. Among the attendees were Piotr Heszen, director of the parliamentary office of the Confederation of the Polish Crown (Konfederacja Korony Polskiej), and political scientist Mateusz Piskorski, who plans to stand for parliament next year on the same party's list. Heszen later posted a photo on social media alongside Russian ambassador Gieorgij Michno.

Heszen's statement

After the event, Heszen published a political declaration in which he thanked Ambassador Michno for the invitation and described the occasion as "a rather unusual moment". He wrote that his childhood and youth were spent "under the shadow of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, in a system that did not allow the independence of my Fatherland", but added that "how much has changed since then". He argued that Poland and Russia had begun jointly shaping new forms of state life since the turn of the 1980s.

Heszen criticised Poland for having "gone far too far" in imitating Western countries and praised Russia's system, describing it as a turn towards "a kind of conservatism under the leadership of a strong leader".

My general sympathy for this direction is not changed by the fact of the recent war with Ukraine.

He said his party's politicians "are not biased" in assessing the Ukraine war, adding: "We note the enormous role of the West in the emergence and sustaining of this conflict." The statement concluded with a call for normalisation of relations with Russia, describing it as "our desired state" and declaring the party's willingness to work towards it.

Party backing

Asked by Interia about the circumstances of his visit, Heszen confirmed that the attendance was "agreed/recommended by/with Grzegorz Braun". He said there had been no "extraordinary reactions" from party colleagues, adding that "a few congratulations from colleagues came in for the content of my social media post, which they considered, and I am not surprised, very balanced". He stressed the visit was "a response to an invitation". Asked if he would accept a hypothetical invitation to the Ukrainian embassy, he replied that "in principle, of course yes", though "a lot depends on the context".

Russian ambassador's remarks

During the ceremony, Ambassador Gieorgij Michno delivered a speech broadcast by the embassy, asserting that "more and more people in the world not only feel sympathy for our country and want to learn more about how we live, but also see Russia as a guardian and defender of traditional values".

Mateusz Piskorski also present

Mateusz Piskorski, founder of the pro-Russian party Zmiana who was charged in 2018 with collaborating with Russian and Chinese intelligence, also attended. He has indicated he will run on Braun's party lists in the next parliamentary elections. The presence of both figures at the embassy underscores the Confederation of the Polish Crown's open courting of Moscow at a time when official Polish-Russian relations remain frozen over the war in Ukraine.