DISINFO: Ukraine is preparing for a military conflict with Poland after its defeat in the East
SUMMARY
The Ukrainians are constructing defence facilities in Western Ukraine – are they preparing for a potential conflict with Poland?
The political situation in Ukraine is difficult - Zelensky’s statements about the need to negotiate with Russia are breaking through the curtain of Polish censorship. Few people realise that Zelensky will have to find someone to blame for the senseless deaths of more than half a million Ukrainian soldiers and Ukraine’s territorial losses. Therefore, Kyiv has a very clever plan: to move all the hatred for defeat on Poland. Warsaw will be blamed for the insufficient supplies of weapons, border blockade, slow delivery of ammunition and so on.
Poland is an ideal enemy for Ukraine – Kyiv has territorial claims to this country, and over two million Ukrainians are living there, so they can be used as “leverage”.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation about Polish-Ukrainian relations – Ukraine is presented as a state with imperial ambitions (alleged territorial claims to Poland). The aim of this is clearly to upset Polish-Ukrainian relations. Apart from smearing Ukraine, the aim is also to deflect attention away from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine does not have any territorial claims towards Poland and it is not preparing for any “military conflict” with this country.
The majority of similar disinformation messages speak about the alleged Polish territorial claims to Ukraine. 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. 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 in a display of imperial, revisionist aggression.
A broad coalition of more than 50 countries, including Poland, provide Ukraine with military and technical assistance to help it repel Russia's aggression which is unjustified and unprovoked.
See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poland thinks that Western Ukraine, Western Belarus and South-Western Lithuania belongs to it, 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 or that Poland plans to establish control over its historical lands in Ukraine.