Poland considered a dangerous enemy by Russia: Putin ally

An ally of President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday (Nov 2) that Poland, a NATO member state, was now considered a dangerous enemy by Russia and could end up losing its statehood if it continued on its current course.Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president, made this remark in an article on Russia-Poland relations, the news agency Reuters reported.

Medvedev, now the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said in the article that Moscow would treat Poland precisely as a historical enemy. "If there is no hope for reconciliation with the enemy, Russia should have only one and a very tough attitude regarding its fate," Medvedev said.

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"History has more than once delivered a merciless verdict to the presumptuous Poles: no matter how ambitious the revanchist plans may be, their collapse could lead to the death of Polish statehood in its entirety," he added.

Poland slams Medvedev's warning

Stanisław Żaryn, a Polish security official, slammed Medvedev's warning and told the PAP news agency that Russian leaders had been stoking hatred towards Poland for many years.

Żaryn said that Medvedev's article was full of hatred and threats against Poland and NATO and typical of Krelmin's propaganda. The official told PAP Medvedev “repeated the main lies propagated against Poland.”

His article proved that Moscow was aware of Warsaw's role in significantly reducing Russia’s influence in Europe in recent years. Russia was also seeking to pressure Europe into resuming political and economic cooperation with Russia, while Poland was blocking such an operation which sparked aggression from the Kremlin.

Russia's ongoing offensive in Ukraine has further strained the relations between Moscow and Warsaw. Poland has backed Ukraine since the beginning of the war in February last year, providing Kyiv with weapons, and financial and humanitarian aid worth around $4.5 billion.

(With inputs from agencies)