Mr Medvedev said Russia now viewed Poland as a "dangerous enemy" and warned it could collapse as a state.
"We will treat Poland as a historical enemy. If there is no hope of reconciliation with this enemy, Russia needs to be very tough with its fate," Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said on November 2 in an article about Russia-Poland relations.
Medvedev's statement came after Stanislav Zharyn, head of Poland's cyber security agency, accused Russia and Belarus of intensifying aggressive cyberattacks targeting Warsaw.
Medvedev said that Warsaw had turned into an "enemy" of Moscow through its "anti-Russian revisionist policy." In the article, he recalled that in the late 18th century, the Russian Empire had caused the dissolution of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
"The lessons of history have shown more than once that no matter how great Poland's ambitions are, their collapse can lead to the risk of the destruction of the Polish state," the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council warned.
According to Medvedev, in the early stages of the war in Ukraine, Poland "declared itself a staunch defender of Kiev and Washington's main ally in the region". However, he said that this only caused the European Union (EU) to "take a negative attitude" towards Warsaw.
“This could lead to instability in the EU structure, ultimately causing the collapse of the union because of Poland,” he wrote.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev at an online meeting in April 2022. Photo: AFP
Poland has not yet responded to Mr Medvedev's remarks.
The Ukraine conflict has worsened already tense relations between Russia and Poland. Poland is one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine and has imposed sanctions on Russia. Mr Medvedev has said Poland would “cease to exist” if Russia and NATO were to come to blows, regardless of the outcome.
Asked if Poland was concerned that the fighting in Ukraine could spark a wider war that would drag its neighbour into the conflict, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he was not worried, as it would be a "Russian-NATO war, and Russia would lose very quickly." The Polish prime minister also insisted that his country was "only supporting a country that is being attacked."
Poland has been a leading supporter of Ukraine against Russia’s campaign. However, relations between the two neighbors have recently soured over the issue of cheap Ukrainian grain affecting the domestic market and harsh statements from the leaders of both countries.
Donald Tusk, the opposition leader who won the recent elections and is preparing to form a new government, is more pro-Ukrainian and tough on Russia. When Mr. Tusk takes office as prime minister, Russia-Poland relations are likely to remain tense.
Ngoc Anh (According to Reuters )
Source link
Comment (0)