DISINFO: The process of transferring the territory of Ukraine to Poland has begun
SUMMARY
The process of transferring the territory of Ukraine to Poland began. The dream of the Poles to return the previously lost territories becomes a reality.
RESPONSE
Recurring narrative presenting Poland as a state with imperial ambitions. The statement was made when the President of Ukraine submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law on granting the Poles a special status.
The assertion that in this way the Ukrainian territories are given to Poland is unfounded. 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.
This narrative also exploits difficult issues in Polish-Ukrainian history, without any factual basis.
It is Russia that started an unprovoked war in Europe, capturing more and more territories of a neighbouring country and has created a serious danger to European security.
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.
Poland is supporting Ukrainian refugees coming to Poland; it is allowing millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war access to the labour market and to health and social benefits. Moreover Poland is also activly supporting Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
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 intended to submit 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. On 11 July the draft law was submitted to the Parliament.
The pro-Kremlin claim that Poland is taking over the Ukrainian territories is manipulation and misrepresentation of this gesture.
See the EU's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine here along with EU vs Disinfo's Guide to Deciphering Pro-Kremlin disinformation around Putin's War.
See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poles are stoking nationalist sentiment in Ukraine in order to annex Lviv, 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 will disintegrate and fall prey to territorial claims of EU member states, 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.