Vladimir Putin Warns Poland of Territorial Ambitions in Former Soviet Union and Threatens Military Response

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused NATO member Poland of having territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union and said any aggression by Poland against Russia’s neighbor and close ally Belarus would be considered an attack on Russia, Reuters and BTA reported.

Moscow will respond to any aggression against Belarus, which forms an “ally” with Russia, “with all the means at our disposal,” Putin told a televised Security Council meeting.

In connection with what he referred to as Warsaw’s territorial ambitions, Putin emphasized that Poland received a significant part of its western regions thanks to Joseph Stalin’s decision, TASS reported.

“Thanks to the Soviet Union, thanks to Stalin’s position, Poland received significant lands in the west, lands of Germany. That’s right, the western territories of today’s Poland are Stalin’s gift to the Poles. Have our friends in Warsaw forgotten about this? We will remind them,” warned the Russian president.

On Wednesday, the Warsaw Security Committee decided to move military units to eastern Poland after members of the private Russian military company Wagner arrived in Belarus, the PAP news agency reported.

On Wednesday, “Wagner” creator Yevgeny Prigozhin was shown in a video welcoming his fighters to Belarus, telling them they would no longer take part in the war in Ukraine, but ordering them to raise forces for Africa while training the Belarusian army.

Belarus said yesterday that Wagner mercenaries had begun training Belarusian special forces at a military training ground just a few kilometers from the border with Poland.

Putin said there were press reports of plans for Polish-Lithuanian units to be used for operations in western Ukraine – parts of which formerly belonged to Poland – and eventually occupy territory there.

“It is well known that they also dream of Belarusian lands,” he said without providing any evidence, Reuters reported. “But as for Belarus, it is part of the Union State (with Russia); using aggression against Belarus will mean aggression against the Russian Federation,” Putin said. “We will respond to this with all means at our disposal.”

2023-07-21 12:46:00
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