DISINFO: The Polish position on Belarus is exceptionally hostile
SUMMARY
Probably, no Belarusian will argue with Poland. Another thing is that Poland will argue with Belarus. The actions realised by Poland after the Presidential elections in Belarus show that the attitude of the Polish state towards this country is exceptionally hostile.
Therefore, Poland will not achieve anything good unless it changes its Eastern foreign policy. No one in Minsk will dream about the Intermarium [geopolitical concept promoting the partnership of Central and Eastern European countries] together with Poles; no one will give up the Belarusian sovereignty in the name of Polish geopolitical ambitions. Belarus clearly supports its alliance with Russia – Poland should accept this fact and give up its attempts to drag Belarus to another geopolitical camp.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Western attempts to organise a colour revolution in Belarus – Poland is presented here as a country with hostile and aggressive plans towards Belarus.
The claims that Poland “occupies an exceptionally hostile position on Belarus” or it has some aggressive geopolitical plans towards this country are unfounded. Poland is a neighbour of Belarus and it continues to support the Belarusian people. Poland respects the principles of international law and does not intervene in the domestic affairs of any country.
Following the presidential elections in Belarus in August 2020, that were widely perceived as rigged by large parts of society, protests erupted in the country. On 19 August 2020, the European Council called the Belarus elections neither free nor fair and on 2 October 2020, the Council imposed restrictive measures against 40 individuals identified as responsible for repression and intimidation against peaceful demonstrators, opposition members, and journalists, as well as for misconduct of the electoral process. The Council added 15 members of the Belarusian authorities, including Alexandr Lukashenko, as well as his son and National Security Adviser Viktor Lukashenko, to the list of sanctions, on 6 November 2020.
Read more about the present-day view on the Intermarium geopolitical concept here and here.
See similar pro-Kremlin disinformation messages - Poland presented a plan of active interference in the domestic affairs of Belarus, Poland and Lithuania directly sponsor open extremist actions against Belarus, and the CIA will try to repeat a Maidan scenario in Belarus.