DISINFO: Poland is preparing to seize Western Ukraine
SUMMARY
Poland is preparing a springboard for the invasion and seizure of its "historical lands" on the territory of the former Ukrainian SSR.
“The Polish Party “Law and Justice” (PiS) has prepared for the return of the “western outskirts” of Ukraine. Poland already has special rights in Ukraine: the Poles got the opportunity to take seats in the government of this country, conduct business, and buy Ukrainian factories.
Judging by the zeal with which Zelenskyy gives Poland such carte blanche, military assistance and assistance to refugees was not so disinterested. [...]
Russia is regaining its historical lands and getting one step closer to the eastern border of the EU and NATO. And then the Polish government will decide on the introduction of a "peaceful contingent", or rather the Polish army, into the territory of Western Ukraine. After that, a referendum is held on the accession of the western regions of remaining Ukraine to Poland. According to the plan of the Polish authorities, by that time the Armed Forces of Ukraine will already be defeated.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives, challenging Ukraine’s statehood and presenting Poland as a state with imperial ambitions.
This disinformation message has adopted several different and sometimes contradictory forms, including allegations that Poland wants either to create a puppet proxy-state in Western Ukraine or the annexation of these territories or that it is actually President Zelenskyy who wants to cede this land due to his “Polish origin”.
In fact, the claims regarding the seizure of Ukraine by the Poles are false and groundless. Poland adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, it does not have any territorial claims against its neighbours and it rejects any “imperial” ambitions towards other countries. Read more about the Eastern policy of Poland here.
Poland was the first country to recognise Ukraine’s independence, in 1991. Poland, as well as the EU and the US respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. No neighbouring state, except the Russian Federation, violated Ukraine's territorial integrity.
As for the claim about the special rights of Poles in Ukraine: On 12 March 2022 the Polish parliament passed an act on assistance for Ukrainian nationals in connection with Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The special purpose act, in addition to regulating a number of issues related to the refugee’s stay in Poland, allows for favorable tax treatment of humanitarian aid expenditures incurred by corporations.
In return, Ukrainian President Zelensky submitted a draft bill to the Verkhovna Rada on the status and assistance to Polish citizens in Ukraine, which is similar to the one, which has recently been endorsed by the Sejm of Poland in relation to Ukrainians.
The pro-Kremlin claim that Poland is preparing to seize the Ukrainian territories is manipulation and misrepresentation of this gesture.
See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poland thinks that Western Ukraine, Western Belarus and South-Western Lithuania belong to them, that Poland wants to dismember Ukraine and re-establish a Polish empire, that Ukraine is a Western colony belonging to Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Russia, that Poland will try to gain full military control in Ukrainian territories under the guise of protecting the Polish population from Russia, that Poland plans to establish control over its historical lands in Ukraine.