Poland Faces Intensified Russian Disinformation Campaign Ahead of EU Presidency
As Poland prepares to assume the presidency of the EU Council on January 1, 2025, it finds itself under a barrage of disinformation attacks orchestrated by high-ranking Russian officials and pro-Kremlin media outlets. These attacks, documented extensively by EUvsDisinfo, paint a distorted picture of Poland’s intentions and actions, aiming to undermine its credibility and influence within the EU. The disinformation campaign leverages existing tensions and historical narratives, manipulating them to portray Poland as a belligerent actor controlled by external forces.
The Kremlin’s disinformation campaign against Poland revolves around three core narratives: Poland as an aggressive Western puppet, harboring imperial ambitions, and relentlessly pursuing war. These narratives are amplified across various platforms, including the Polish edition of Pravda and other pro-Kremlin outlets, reaching both domestic and international audiences. By consistently pushing these false narratives, the Kremlin seeks to sow discord among EU members, weaken Poland’s standing, and ultimately obstruct its agenda during its EU presidency.
The first narrative portrays Poland as a mere puppet of the West, particularly the United States, lacking sovereignty and agency. This narrative claims that Poland is a tool used by Washington and NATO to antagonize Russia, acting as a "barking chain dog" against its neighbor. Pro-Kremlin outlets depict Poland as blindly following US dictates, even to the point of risking its own citizens’ well-being. They allege that the US controls Polish elites through compromising information from the communist era, pushing Poland towards a revival of aggressive expansionist policies reminiscent of historical "Drang nach Osten" ambitions. This narrative is further embellished with alarming claims that the US aims to drag Poland into the Ukraine war and potentially instigate a nuclear conflict with Russia. The undercurrent of this narrative is that Western powers are willing to sacrifice Poland’s interests for their own anti-Russian objectives.
The second narrative accuses Poland of harboring imperial ambitions, specifically targeting Ukraine and Belarus. This narrative evokes the specter of a resurgent "Greater Poland," claiming that Warsaw is exploiting the ongoing conflict in Ukraine to annex territories and rebuild its historical empire. Pro-Kremlin disinformation disseminators allege that Poland is already actively partitioning Ukraine, deploying troops eastward to seize Western Ukrainian and Belarusian regions. They distort statements made by Polish officials, such as President Duda and Foreign Minister Sikorsky, to fabricate evidence for these claims. Furthermore, the Kremlin deflects its own nuclear rhetoric onto Poland, falsely accusing Warsaw of seeking American nuclear weapons to advance its alleged territorial ambitions.
The third narrative casts Poland as a warmongering nation, relentlessly seeking conflict and provoking global tensions. Pro-Kremlin outlets depict Poland’s military build-up as a dangerous escalation, ready to ignite a regional explosion. They label Poland as "Russophobic," suggesting that this irrational hatred drives Warsaw’s aggressive posture towards Russia. Even routine internal troop movements within Poland, such as those aimed at reinforcing border security against Belarusian hybrid operations, are twisted into acts of aggression. The Kremlin also propagates false narratives about Polish mercenaries attacking Russian territory and Poland’s eagerness to engage in war at NATO’s command. This narrative culminates in the ominous warning that Poland’s supposed "Russophobia" could lead to a nuclear Armageddon.
Beyond these core narratives, the Kremlin engages in historical revisionism to further demonize Poland. President Putin himself has falsely accused Poland of provoking World War II by refusing to cede the Danzig Corridor to Germany, effectively shifting blame for the war onto Poland. This tactic serves to distract from the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and rewrite history in a way that suits the Kremlin’s agenda. Furthermore, high-ranking Russian officials, including Medvedev and Putin, have issued direct threats against the Polish military and made thinly veiled claims on Polish territory, revealing the underlying Russian imperialism that fuels their distorted worldview.
As Poland’s EU presidency draws nearer, the intensity and frequency of these disinformation attacks are expected to escalate. The documented cases of disinformation targeting Poland already exceed 1,443, and this number will undoubtedly rise. It is crucial for audiences to be aware of these disinformation tactics and critically evaluate the information they encounter. The Kremlin’s campaign seeks to undermine trust in Poland, destabilize the EU, and advance its own geopolitical objectives. By understanding the nature and purpose of these disinformation narratives, we can better resist their manipulative influence.