DISINFO: Poland escalates relations with Russia accusing this country of arsons
SUMMARY
Poland continues to escalate relations with Russia. Now, it wants to capture an alleged “saboteur”, who seemingly set a fire in Wrocław on the orders of the Russian special services. The Polish authorities present no details about these high-profile arsons - most likely, it has nothing reasonable to show. Poland wants to present itself as a country facing the Russian “hybrid war”, so the Poles are looking for saboteurs, explaining domestic fires with the actions of “Russian agents.”
Anti-Russian hysteria requires constant feeding – today, there are arsons, and tomorrow, there will be some kind of explosions at military warehouses. Everything will be explained by the Russian plot.
RESPONSE
Disinformation message denying Russia's involvement in plans to commit sabotage in Poland, plans attributed to the Russian special services. This message includes a traditional pro-Kremlin narrative about an allegedly Russophobic Poland. Pro-Kremlin and other Russian state-controlled outlets regularly accuse Poland of Russophobia and of implementing anti-Russian policies.
This message emerged in connection to the recent arrest of a person recruited by the Russian GRU to realise the arson of an industrial enterprise in Wrocław. In connection with this situation, Poland decided to close down the Russian Consulate in the city of Poznań. In general, in 2024, the Polish law enforcers detained nine persons suspected of sabotage plans on behalf of Moscow.
The main reason for the poor state of Polish-Russian relations is the Kremlin’s violation of international law and the most violent actions undermining peace and security in 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). These aggressive actions have violated the basic principles of international law and undermined the pillars of the European security system.
Particularly in the context of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and armed military aggression in Ukraine, Poland supports the deployment of NATO troops on its soil as this step increases its domestic security. Two-thirds of the Polish people have a positive opinion about NATO’s activities.
See other examples of messages accusing Poland of alleged Russophobia here.