Polish PM Refused U.S. Calls

In the stilted world of international diplomacy, not talking speaks volumes: Polish PM Donald Tusk confirmed today that he refused two American phone calls yesterday, from Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, about the decision to cancel U.S. missile-defense bases planned for Poland. The first call came from Clinton; Tusk rejected it on the grounds that the call should have come from President Obama. Shortly thereafter, Obama called and Tusk again refused to answer—Polish sources first reported this was due to “technical difficulties,” but Tusk later explained he simply wasn’t ready, and needed time to “properly prepare for the discussion.” Tusk ultimately ended up on the phone with Obama, and Clinton chatted up Poland’s foreign minister. The European nation is reportedly now angling for an alternate missile system to be based in Poland. Tusk explained, “I would not describe what is going on today as a defeat for Poland,” saying Obama suggested that “Poland has a chance to win an exclusive position” in the new system.