Moscow, Russia, July 22: Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Poland of harboring territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union territory and issued a stern warning that any aggression against Belarus, a close ally of Russia, would be considered an attack on Russia itself.
During a televised address at the Kremlin’s Security Council meeting on Friday, President Putin stated that Moscow would employ ” all the means at our disposal” to safeguard Belarus, which forms a Union State with Russia, from potential attacks.
Putin emphasized that Belarus is an integral part of the Union State, and warns Poland that “Any act of aggression against Belarus will be treated as an assault on the Russian Federation”, prompting a forceful response from Russia.
Moreover, President Putin claimed that Poland, a former Soviet-camp republic, has ambitions regarding Belarusian as well as Ukrainian lands.
President Putin also drew attention to Poland’s western territories, bordering Germany, alleging that they were granted to Poland as a “present” from former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
“Our friends in Poland had forgotten about it, and we will remind them”, he further said.
In response to Putin’s remarks, Poland, a member of NATO and a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its war with Russia, denied having any territorial ambitions in Ukraine or Belarus.
Polish Deputy Minister Coordinator of Special Services, Stanislaw Zaryn, dismissed Putin’s claims as lies and historical revisionism aimed at maligning Poland’s reputation.
Russia-Poland Recent Tensions
Poland, a member of NATO since 1999 and the European Union since 2004, has been actively advocating for Ukraine’s NATO membership, and its parliament recently passed a resolution supporting Ukraine‘s accession to the alliance.
The country has been very vocal about Russia’s westward expansion, particularly after the Russian annexation of Ukrainian territory.
Recent events have further exacerbated tensions between Poland and Russia.
Last month, Russia deployed its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, and Poland strongly condemned this action citing looming threats of nuclear attack. The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, is urging NATO to respond to Russia’s move by taking appropriate measures.
Tensions between Poland and Russia further escalated when reports emerged of the Wagner group, a Russian private military company, amassing troops in Belarus following an attempted coup against President Putin.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered negotiations between Putin and Wagner’s chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, resulting in the mercenaries returning to Belarus to avoid treason charges.
Poland condemned this outcome, as Wagner mercenaries are gathering in Belarus and reportedly began training Belarusian special forces near the Polish border.
In response to the escalating situation, Poland has reinforced its defenses along the border with Belarus with an additional 1000 troops.
However, Russian and Belarusian authorities interpret this move as an act of aggression against Belarus and which Putin says is an attempt against Russia itself.
Analysts at Indic Worldview speculate that these developments could be part of Putin’s broader plan to instigate a direct NATO-Russian conflict, with Poland potentially becoming the next battleground.
This suspicion arose due to Russia’s deployment of nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus and the presence of the Wagner mercenary force near Poland’s border.
However, some differ with this speculation by calling it Putin’s grand deterrence strategy.
The question remains whether Putin is prepared to directly confront a NATO member and endure the potential consequences. The situation requires careful observation as it unfolds.
