Russian Telegram accounts have this month picked up on a narrative launched in early May, regarding public support for Poland’s prospective invasion of Ukraine. The narrative was based on a survey that didn’t even tackle this topic.
NEWS: 56.8% of participants in a survey conducted by the newspaper Rzeczpospolita “strongly support” or “support” the participation of the Polish army in a “peacemaking” operation on the territory of Ukraine.
A few days ago, president Duda expressed his hopes about “the disappearance of borders between Poland and Ukraine”, which represents a test for the public opinion regarding the future military aggression and recapture of “eastern regions” [of Poland].
Rzeczpospolita is a right-leaning newspaper (journalists traditionally support anti-Russian politicians in the governing party, although they distance themselves from them in public), and this has to be taken under advisement. However, the popularization of militarism and aggressive rhetoric in Poland, as well as across Europe, is a fact.
NARRATIVE: Most Poles support the invasion of Ukraine’s western territories.
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: In fact, 56.8% of Poles said they support any participation of Poland in a potential peacemaking operation on the territory of Ukraine if this operation is organized by the EU, NATO or the UN. Therefore, this is not some unilateral military action. The survey in question says nothing about the invasion of Ukraine, about Polish territories that now belong to Ukraine, about Warsaw’s military aggression or Russophobia. All these elements that do not appear in the Rzeczpospolita article represent 90% of the information published in the Russian media, actively disseminated in early June on Telegram accounts in Russia.
Both the president and the Prime Minister of Poland have taken concrete action to support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. The hopes about “the disappearance of borders between Poland and Ukraine” attributed to the Polish president are in fact an attempt to introduce joint border crossing points on the border between the two states.
Veridica has already debunked a number of false narratives spread by pro-Kremlin media regarding Poland’s “interests” in the war in Ukraine. In May, the Russian media wrote that Poland’s president admitted that Warsaw will annex Ukrainian territories after the head of Russian foreign intelligence, Sergey Naryshkin, said that Poland will take control over its “historical provinces” in Ukraine with the help of the USA.
Also in May, the Russian media accused Ukraine of allowing 10,000 military from Poland and Lithuania to enter the country as part of a propaganda campaign, at the same time spreading fake news about Poland’s high expectations with respect to the invasion of Ukraine.
Of Ukraine’s neighbors, Poland has been the most vocal and active critic of Russian aggression, supporting Kyiv’s defensive efforts and becoming a target of Russian propaganda itself.
Check sources:
