Putin Warns Poland After Troop Numbers Growing On Belarus Border

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a resoundingly clear message to Poland and its NATO allies on Friday. After Warsaw’s buildup of troops along its border with Belarus, a strong Moscow ally, the president warned that an attack on the nation would be considered an attack on Russia.

In televised remarks, Putin told his Security Council that Belarus would be defended “with all means at our disposal.” This presumably included the Kremlin’s massive nuclear arsenal.

Putin also referenced media reports that a Polish-Lithuanian military unit will soon be operating in western Ukraine. 

Poland denied Putin’s claim that the NATO member has territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union. But Putin told the Security Council that western Poland was a “gift” from Stalin to the nation and that Poles needed to be reminded of that fact.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki struck back at that assertion. He declared that “Stalin was a war criminal, guilty of the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Poles.”

Forces from Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group are now in Belarus. This apparently prompted Polish authorities to relocate military forces close to its border with Minsk.

A weekend visit by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to the Kremlin was heralded as furthering the two nations’ “strategic partnership.”

Belarus’ military has not been directly involved in Russia’s war with Ukraine, but Lukashenko permitted Putin’s forces to launch the attack from its territory last year. Leaders of both countries have met frequently since that time.

They have also conducted multiple joint military exercises. And it was recently revealed that Russia is now stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus for the first time.

Western critics charge that Belarus may be used to open another front against Kyiv, though there are no military indications of this possibility. Meanwhile, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated on Friday that his country and NATO are prepared to defend Poland. 

The movement of Polish troops followed the establishment of training of Belarusian forces by the Wagner Group within close proximity to their shared border. 

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was seen on video welcoming the mercenary group to Belarus on Wednesday. He told them they would have no further involvement in Ukraine but should prepare for resumptions of Wagner’s operations in Africa.