Polish foreign minister defends law to probe Russian influence

Zbigniew Rau, Poland's foreign minister, has defended a law establishing a commission that will investigate alleged Russian influence on Polish internal security, telling his US counterpart that it places no limits on who can stand for election.

On Monday, the Polish president, Andrzej Duda, signed law legislation setting up a commission, and sent it to the country's Constitutional Tribunal.

The law came into effect on Wednesday, and raised a storm of controversy, with criticism from the EU and the US, a key Polish ally, who expressed concerns that it might interfere with free and fair elections in Poland.

Zbigniew Rau, Poland's foreign minister, said he had held a meeting with Antony Blinken, the American Secretary of State, who was dominated by the Russia commission, on the side-lines of a Nato conference in Oslo.

In a statement, Rau said, I pointed out that the act in no way limits anyone's electoral rights, either active or passive. Rau added that Blinken was pleased with the explanation and said he would look into the matter thoroughly.