ISTANBUL

Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday reaffirmed Poland’s loyalty to the US but ruled out becoming “a vassal” to any country, a day after announcing Warsaw would not join President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.

“Poland was, is, and will be a loyal, reliable, and predictable ally of the United States,” Tusk told reporters following a meeting of the National Security Council, according to broadcaster TVP World.

His comments came a day after he said Poland would not participate in the Board of Peace initiative.

“But in this alliance, Poland is not and will not be—as long as I am prime minister—a vassal. We will be a faithful ally, but we will not be a vassal in relations with any country in the world,” Tusk underscored.

He added that relations between allies cannot rely on “someone constantly nodding and trying to gain something through flattery.”

On Jan. 22, representatives of 19 countries signed the Charter of the Board of Peace on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The Board of Peace was established within the framework of efforts toward a peaceful settlement in the Gaza Strip. Washington has said additional states have since joined the initiative.

Its first meeting is scheduled for Feb. 19 in Washington, DC, at the leader level. It remains unclear whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will attend. Fundraising for Gaza’s reconstruction is expected to be the central focus of the meeting.