DEMARCHE TO GOP ON DEPUTY PM LEPPER'S VISIT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L WARSAW 000246 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2022 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PL SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO GOP ON DEPUTY PM LEPPER'S VISIT TO UKRAINE'S MAUP REF: WARSAW 224 Classified By: Charge, Kenneth Hillas for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Charge delivered the points from reftel to MFA Americas Director Andrzej Jarosinski, saying that the United States did not intend to interfere in the GOP's internal politics, but that we were concerned and saddened that Deputy PM and Minister of Agriculture Andrzej Lepper would receive an honorary professorship from such an infamous institution as Ukraine's Interregional Academy for Staff Management (MAUP),and use the occasion to ask mockingly if MAUP "had a Department of Anti-Semitism?" Charge said that the Deputy PM's so-called "private" visit to Kyiv had sent a troubling signal to American and international Jewish organizations, and while carefully not suggesting any specific response, urged the GOP to take some action to distance itself from MAUP and the virulently anti-Semitic philosophy it espouses. Embassy has posted information about MAUP on our website, without making specific reference to Deputy PM Lepper. ¶2. (C) In response, Director Jarosinski said he viewed USG concerns as serious and fully understood how the visit of the Deputy PM would be viewed in the United States. He said he personally believed his government should not ignore the issue, but did not signal any response. He promised to convey our concerns to U/S Witold Waszczykowski and Minister Fotyga without delay. Charge advised ADL Chief of Staff Michael Rapaport that he had raised USG concerns with the Polish MFA about Lepper's association with MAUP, while stressing our goal of avoiding public recriminations over U.S. interference in Polish internal affairs that would shift public focus away from Lepper's affiliation with MAUP. ¶3. (C) Earlier in the morning, Pol Internal Chief met with Eliza Chodorowska, who handles Polish-Jewish relations in the Prime Minister's Chancellery, and conveyed the substance of reftel points. He told Chodorowska that the Charge would be meeting with the MFA later in the day to deliver our points officially. Chodorowska had no comment. HILLAS