Vladimir Putin accuses Poland of planning to invade Ukraine and Belarus, warns 'we will respond'

Ever since Wagner Group's mercenaries were exiled to Belarus following Yevgeny Prigozhin's failed mutiny, sparking fears they were preparing an attack on Poland, Warsaw took matters into their own hands. They placed significant military forces closer to the ‘strategically critical’ northeastern part of its border.

According to News Week, the move saw the tensions between Russia and Poland intensify, with their relationship going ‘the sourest’ it’s been in modern history.

In his latest speech in a televised Security Council meeting, Vladimir Putin unexpectedly accused Warsaw of wanting to invade Ukraine and Belarus, threatening an ‘appropriate response’.

At the same time, Russian propagandistsattempted to play Poland up as an ambitious military power,calling it a ‘war hawk’.

Here is what we know about the most serious confrontation between the two counties in this century.

Vladimir Putin unexpectedly accused Poland of waging a war on Ukraine and Belarus

It’s hard to remember the last time Russia and Poland had a warm relationship.

Warsaw joining NATO in 1999, the ‘suspicious’ death of President Lech Kaczynski in 2010, and Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, all contributed to any ties between the countries taking a negative trend.

Poland which took the most refugees from Ukraine has strongly condemned the war started by the Kremlin but it was the Wagner Group’s exile to neighbouring Belarus that made them realise they could be next on Russia’s ‘bloodthirsty’ military menu.

Scared of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mercenaries seizing ‘strategically critical’ Suwalki Gap - a move that would cut Poland off from Baltic states - they strengthened military presence near the border, urging NATO to take Wagner's threat seriously.

The decision sparked criticism in Russia, with Vladimir Putin unexpectedly turning the situation around and accusing Poland of planning to wage war on Ukraine and Belarus.

The Russian President claimed, without evidence, that Poland intended to take control of ‘a good chunk of Ukraine’ - its alleged ‘historic lands’ - adding that they were also ‘dreaming of Belarusian lands’.

He said:

Aggression against Belarus will mean aggression against the Russian Federation. We will respond to it with all means at our disposal.

Meanwhile, Russian propagandists doubled on Poland’s alleged territorial ambitions, calling it an emerging military power in Europe and a ‘war hawk’.

Sergey Mardan, a podcaster and host of Mardan Live/Solovyov Live, said that ‘ridiculous’ Poland was in the past, adding:

Poland is a pretty serious, pretty big military power, which is building up its military budget in an unbelievably accelerated way. Its military potential, it's doubling.

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Poland defended transferring troops near the Belarusian border, with it Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki hitting back against the Russian leader's remarks.

Zbigniew Hoffmann, secretary of Poland's National Security Committee, also justified its move citing Minsk's military exercises.

It’s not surprising that, amid growing tensions, Poland denied entry to Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva who was planning to take part in The Warsaw Open.

The Polish Interior Ministry said:

The Border Guard prevented a Russian tennis player from entering Poland. Vera Zvonareva, using a visa issued by France, tried to get into our country on a flight from Belgrade to Warsaw.

The Women's Tennis Association insisted Zvonareva leaving Poland was important ‘for the safety of its players’.

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Sources used:

Newsweek: 'Tensions Heat Up Between Russia and Poland'