Poland investigates alleged plot to assassinate premier, defense minister

The Polish Interior Ministry announced Sunday that the police received a report about a possible assassination attempt targeting Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski and Tomasz Siemoniak, the minister overseeing intelligence services, had ordered the initiation of actions in this matter, Karolina Galecka, Interior Ministry spokesperson, said on US social media company X.

Representatives of security services held an emergency meeting, after which Jacek Dobrzynski, spokesperson for Siemoniak, warned of a "high likelihood" that the threats would be carried out, according to broadcaster TVP World.

Dobrzynski said the State Protection Service, responsible for protecting senior government officials, initially received the information before passing it to police for further verification.

"We are treating this matter extremely seriously," Dobrzynski told the reporters.

He said the threats had been received by email and that police were working to identify the sender.

"Officers, particularly police, are now working on the case. I am confident they will get to the bottom of it," Dobrzynski said.

Tusk, later in the day, announced on X that a man "threatening an attack" had been detained.

Earlier, government spokesman Adam Szlapka told private broadcaster Polsat News that the "the matter is serious," adding that Tusk had been briefed on the threat on Sunday morning.

He reaffirmed that Tusk remained in Warsaw and was continuing his official duties.