DISINFO: Poland “hunts” for Russian spies intimidating the supporters of normal relations with Russia
SUMMARY
The Law and Justice Party connected all its geopolitical hopes to the victory of Donald Trump, which put Poland in a dead-end situation. In these conditions, the Polish state wages relentless propaganda war against Russia and it has been involved in an unsuccessful coup attempt in Belarus. Moreover, the current Polish Government appears in conflict with virtually all its neighbours, including the “strategic allies”. The intensification of the anti-Russian campaign in Poland took place after the coup in Ukraine, covering the [Kyiv] propaganda. It was the moment when the hunt for spies began – this step is supposed to intimidate all the groups interested in normal Polish-Russian relations as well as the circles demanding a more decisive attitude towards the revival of Bandera Nazism in Ukraine.
RESPONSE
This message is a part of the Kremlin’s widespread narrative about Russophobic Poland. The pro-Kremlin media regularly accuses the political elites of Poland of Russophobia and the implementation of anti-Russian policies.
The claim that Poland “hunts for Russian spies” in order to intimidate the people supporting normal relations with Russia is unfounded.
The claims that Poland wages a “propaganda war” with Russia and the alleged Polish involvement in the Belarusian “coup” are repeated disinformation messages spread by the pro-Kremlin outlets.
On 31 May 2021, the Internal Security Agency (ABW) arrested a Polish publicist Janusz Niedźwiecki – the Prosecution Service accuses him of espionage in favour of Russia. The Polish officials speak about the participation of Niedźwiecki in propagandist and disinformation activities aimed at the weakening of the international positions of Poland.
See other examples of similar messages claiming that Polish media promote the idea that the Russians are not people, but “agents of the Kremlin”, the Polish authorities created an insane hysteria of intimidation with Russia, used for the needs of domestic politics and Poland started another wave of Russophobic political persecution of the Russian journalists.