In a recent televised statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Poland of harboring territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union and asserted that any hostile actions against Belarus, Russia's ally, would be considered an attack on Russia itself, Al Jazeera reports.
During the address, Putin issued a warning that Moscow would employ all available means to safeguard Belarus, which shares a loose Union State arrangement with Russia, against potential attacks.
He expressed concerns over reports suggesting a Polish-Lithuanian unit's involvement in operations in western Ukraine, with potential aspirations to occupy historical Polish territories there.
Putin emphasized that Belarus is an integral part of the Union State, stressing that any aggression towards Belarus would be tantamount to aggression against Russia. He vowed to respond robustly to such provocations.
"As for the Polish leaders, quite possibly they are counting on forming some kind of coalition under the NATO umbrella to get directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict, in order to tear off a good chunk of Ukraine for themselves. To take back their historic lands, as they think of them, currently western Ukraine. It's well known that they dream of Belarusian lands, as well. As for Ukrainian regime policy, it's their business. If they want to betray (their country) and sell some things, as all traitors do, to repay their owners, that's their business. We won't get involved. But as for Belarus, it is part of the Union State. Aggression against Belarus will mean aggression against the Russian Federation.
Furthermore, Putin alleged that Poland has ambitions concerning Belarusian lands, although he did not offer concrete evidence to support his claim. In response, Poland, a member of NATO and a staunch supporter of Ukraine against Russian invasion, denied any territorial designs on Ukraine or Belarus.
To back his accusations, Putin referred to Poland's western territories, asserting that they were a "gift" from former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, due to actions taken during the redistribution of German land. In rebuttal, Poland dismissed these claims as historical revisionism and disinformation.
“It was thanks to the Soviet Union, thanks to steps taken by Stalin, that Poland got substantial territories in the West – German land. This is a fact,” Putin said. “Western Polish territories are Stalin’s gift to Poland. Have our friends in Warsaw forgotten about it? We’ll give them a reminder.”- said Putin.
“The pathetic bore from the Kremlin is once again repeating lies about Poland and also trying to falsify the truth about the war against Ukraine,” Poland’s deputy minister coordinator of special services, Stanislaw Zaryn, told the state-owned PAP news agency.
“Vladimir Putin is also using historical revisionism again to spread false accusations against Poland.”
Tensions escalated, prompting Poland to bolster its border defenses with Belarus, especially after the presence of Wagner mercenaries in the region. Belarus, as a neighboring country to Ukraine and NATO members Poland and Lithuania, served as a base for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The situation has resulted in Poland being a target of the Kremlin's rhetoric, with Putin suggesting that Poland should show gratitude towards the Soviet Union and Russia instead of taking a hostile stance. His statements also aimed to remind Ukraine of historical tensions with Poland, suggesting that Poland's involvement in the conflict might not be entirely altruistic.
Despite accusations from Putin that Poland sought to directly intervene in the conflict to occupy Ukrainian land, Poland has chosen to provide military aid and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine without deploying troops directly.
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