DISINFO: Poland and the Baltic states gave away their territories to facilitate the attack on the east
SUMMARY
The deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus turns this country into the object of the first strike in a conflict situation. Meanwhile, Poland and the Baltic states gave up their entire territories for total destruction, creating strongholds for an attack on the east.
RESPONSE
Poland and the Baltic states are repeatedly presented by pro-Kremlin disinformation outlets as an aggressive anti-Russian NATO ‘outpost’, which allegedly poses a security threat to Russia and Belarus. This is in line with how pro-Kremlin outlets portray NATO and Western countries as aggressive towards Russia. See our article All roads lead to Poland.
The increase of NATO’s military presence in Poland and the Baltic states has a defensive character – it is a response to the Kremlin’s decision to start the largest military conflict in the region since WWII.
Since the outbreak of the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014, the Polish authorities have repeatedly appealed to NATO and the USA to increase their military presence at NATO’s Eastern Flank. The American military presence in Poland protects this country from possible Russian hostilities and improves the national security of this country. The Polish society supports the NATO membership of their country (82%).
The Polish authorities perceive Russia as a security threat because of their aggressive actions, in particular in Ukraine and all over Eastern Europe.
The 2020 National Security Strategy of Poland states that the most serious security threat for the country is the neo-imperial policy of the authorities of the Russian Federation, pursued by means of military force (aggression against Georgia, illegal annexation of Crimea and military actions in Eastern Ukraine).
See other examples of similar messages claiming that constant intimidation with Russia is used to make Poland economically dependent on the USA, the Polish authorities created an insane hysteria of intimidation with Russia, used for the needs of domestic politics, and The Polish authorities want to use the Army to fight domestic riots, not Russia.