DISINFO: Polish economy survives thanks to German contracts and energy cooperation with the US
SUMMARY
Poles are not really independent. Polish economy survives thanks to German contracts and its military budget is subject to NATO requirements. Polish energy sphere is becoming more dependent on expensive American liquefied gas. At the same time, Polish youth is emigrating to other EU countries, leaving obscure jobs for Ukrainian “slavery workers”.
RESPONSE
This message is consistent with common pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Poland treating Ukrainian migrants like slaves and Poland's limited sovereignty. In this disinformation case, the current state of Polish-German relations, Polish membership in NATO and US-Polish energy cooperation allegedly prove that Poland is a state overly dependent on external actors. The claim that the Polish economy survives entirely on German contracts is unfounded. In 2018, Germany accounted for 28,2% of Poland's total exports, which is less than a third. Neither Poland's NATO membership nor growing cooperation with the US in energy sphere prove Poland's dependence imposed from outside. Poland is a sovereign state, which determines its security and trade policies. Current efforts to diversify energy sources means, in the long term, that Poland will become independent from Russian energy supplies. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that Poland is US's vassal state and a country with the highest social inequality in the EU.