DISINFO: It is thanks to Russia that Poland today exists as a country
SUMMARY
For several centuries Russia guaranteed the security of Poland, but now Poland decided that the US will guarantee its security. It is thanks to Russia that Poland exists today as a country. Poland was a part of the Russian empire, and that was the cradle of its independence. And if it were not for 600 000 Soviet soldiers who died liberating Poland, the country would not exist today, Poles would be speaking German. And today Poland is easily giving up its sovereignty and submitting to the desires of the American masters.
RESPONSE
A distorted, unfounded comparison between NATO and Russia as ''guaranteeing security'' of Poland. Poland's security nowadays is based on NATO and the European Union, which is a result of Poland's sovereign decisions. Russia was making decisions about Polish security in times of communism (1944-1989) and when it was ruling over a part of Polish territory (1772-1918) as a result of partitions, conducted by Russia, Germany (Prussia) and Austria-Hungary. Being part of Russian empire was certainly not a cradle of Polish independence – on the contrary, as a result of partitions, Poland disappeared from the maps of the world for 123 years. In turn, the Sovietization of Poland after the WWII was accompanied by terror, nationalisation of industry, expropriation of privately owned land and restrictions of civil and political freedoms. The Warsaw Treaty Organisation (the Warsaw Pact), established as an alternative to NATO, was the Soviet Union’s “external empire”, where people faced daily strife, including shortages of food and housing. The message also advances recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US presence in Europe and Polish-US relations. The message - like many others - appeared after the meeting between President of Poland Andrzej Duda and US President Donald Trump and the signing of an agreement which will increase the number of US rotational military forces of Poland.