It appears Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking to sow distrust among allies, in a speech Friday bringing up historical aggression that in the 20th century fractured eastern Europe, namely tit-for-tat massacres between Ukrainian and Polish nationalists during the period of the world wars.
In a new video address before his national security council, Putin said increasing cooperation between Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania could eventually provide opportunity for Warsaw to settle past grievances by demanding and taking historically disputed territory which is now part of Ukraine.
Putin explained that Poland could in the name of the "military union" and citing the threat from Russia send troops to occupy Western Ukraine.
The Russian leader said "if we're being blunt" Poland would just take Ukraine's territory for good. "The possibility is obvious," Putin said. "If Polish troops enter, for example, Lviv or other Ukrainian territories, they will stay there, and they will stay there forever."
According to his full remarks as translated in state media...
"I cannot but comment on what has just been said [by Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin] and on the press reports that have appeared about plans to create a so-called Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian unit. We’re not talking here about some motley crew of mercenaries - there are enough of them there [in Ukraine] already, and they are being destroyed - but rather about a regular, well-oiled, well-equipped military formation that is planned to be used for operations on the territory of Ukraine," Putin said.
"In particular [this is being done] purportedly for ensuring the security of contemporary western Ukraine, but in fact - if you call things by their proper names - for the subsequent occupation of these territories. After all, the future outlook is obvious; if Polish units enter Lvov, for example, or some other territories in Ukraine, then they will be staying put there. And they will remain there for good," he added.
Putin proceeded in the speech to give a history lesson on Poland's alleged angle of seeking Ukrainian territory but under the guise of "helping Kiev"...
"Goaded by the West, Poland took advantage of the tragedy of Russia’s Civil War to annex certain historically Russian provinces. Our country, which was then going through a difficult period, was forced to sign the Treaty of Riga in 1921 and de facto recognize the alienation of its own territories," Putin explained.
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