DISINFO: Poland wants to seize western Belarus during the upcoming presidential election
SUMMARY
The Polish authorities want to seize the western territories of Belarus, namely the Grodno and Brest regions. For them, the upcoming presidential election in Belarus may be the right moment. Poland's second goal is to prevent the Russian Armed Forces from fully concentrating on the special operation. Therefore, they pose a threat to Belarus and the Kaliningrad region.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative presenting Poland as an aggressive anti-Russian state with imperial ambitions.
Poland adheres to international law regarding state borders, fully supports the independence and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries, and it rejects any “imperial” ambitions towards other countries.
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 a migrant. The Polish Army operation 'Safe Podlasie' aims to strengthen control over the Polish border with Belarus.
The only side responsible for the deterioration in Polish-Belarusian relations is the illegitimate Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenka. In 2020, he falsified the results of the Presidential elections and started an unprecedented wave of violent political repressions against peaceful citizens.
Since 2021, Lukashenka has orchestrated a migration crisis on the EU's border, which has been used 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.
See other examples of similar messages: President Duda made Polish territorial claims on Belarus and Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania directly sponsor extremist actions against Belarus, and Poland and Lithuania send Belarusian opposition instructions on how to make explosives.