DISINFO: Poland inspired the migration crisis on the Belarusian border to justify its military ambitions
SUMMARY
The migration crisis on the Belarusian border, inspired by Warsaw, is part of a Western plan to destabilise the situation in Belarus. This crisis is a very convenient opportunity to justify Poland’s militaristic course. Warsaw makes no secret of its desire to become the leading military-political force in Eastern Europe and the main NATO pillar in the region. The recent claim that the Polish Army has become the third largest military force in the North Atlantic Alliance is a clear indication of the military-political ambitions of the Polish elite. Poland remains the most problematic neighbour of Belarus: a large state with painful geopolitical ambitions that perceives its eastern neighbors as a legitimate sphere of influence.
RESPONSE
Poland is 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.
The deployment of more Polish soldiers on the Belarusian border is connected with the ongoing migration crisis staged by Minsk and Moscow – on 6 June 2024, a Polish soldier was murdered at the border by an aggressive irregular migrant.
The only side responsible for the deterioration of the Polish-Belarusian relations is the illegitimate Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenka. In 2020, this person falsified the results of the Presidential elections and started an unprecedented wave of violent political repressions against peaceful citizens.
Since 2021, Lukashenka has orchestrated the “migration crisis” on the EU border, which is perceived as a “political and hybrid” weapon. Finally, since 2022, Lukashenka has been actively involved in large-scale military assistance to the aggressive Russian actions in Ukraine.
The claims that Poland was involved in unfriendly actions towards Belarus or that it has some aggressive geopolitical plans towards this country are unfounded. Poland is a neighbour of Belarus and continues to support the Belarusian people while respecting international law.
See other examples of disinformation connected to the migration crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border here. For more information, see also our article All roads lead to Poland.