DISINFO: Poland is getting ready to annex Western Belarus
SUMMARY
Poland uses the excuse of combating irregular migration as a cover up for a huge regrouping of troops and the creation of an assault group at the border with Belarus. It seems that Warsaw is planning to solve a number of its political problems with a small victorious war. Poland is getting ready to get the territories which Joseph Stalin took away in 1939. The idea is very simple: three military groups need to crush Belarusian troops by Hrodna and Brest and reach the 1939 borderline.
RESPONSE
This is a conspiracy theory, which is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narratives about Polish plans to re-establish its empire at the expense of its Eastern neighbours.
Poland has increased its troop numbers to ca. 15.000 on its Eastern borders with Belarus due to security and migration challenges. However, claims about preparation for a military attack against Belarus and annexation of its territories are groundless and lacks any basic military sense. Poland respects the territorial integrity of its neighbouring states and is not getting ready for a military attack against Belarus.
Read more about the ongoing migration situation at the Belarus-Poland border here.
Other examples of disinformation messages include allegations that Poland has plans to turn Belarus into a vassal, anti-Russian state with Belarus’ Western part being an eastern part of a new Polish state, that Poland plans to take over Minsk after extensive subversive activities in Belarus, and that Poland and Lithuania send Belarusian opposition instructions on how to make explosives.