The chief negotiator of the Russian Federation warns that Poland wants to bite off Ukrainian territory

KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO - Wednesday, 18 May 2022, 22:13

Vladimir Medinsky, aide to the President of the Russian Federation and head of the Russian delegation in negotiations with Ukraine is trying to frighten Kyiv by claiming that Poland wants to seize territories in western Ukraine.

Source: Medinsky at the New Horizons educational marathon, as reported by RIA Novosti (a Russian state-owned news outlet)

Quote: "We understand that one of [Kyiv’s] decision-making centres is its Western friends. But with friends like that, one doesn’t need enemies.

"Knowing history, I do not doubt for a second that their ‘friend’ Poland, at the very first opportunity, will ‘bite off’ Ukraine’s western territories."

Background: In March 2022, Russia began to play the card that Poland allegedly wants to seize western Ukraine. Specifically, this was mentioned by Sergei Lavrov, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Sergei Naryshkin, Director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service.

Information: For the past eight years, Russia, which for many years called itself the "fraternal nation" of Ukraine, has carried out hybrid aggression against Ukraine and has annexed Ukrainian Crimea. Since 24 February, Russia has been waging a full-scale war in Ukraine, destroying residential buildings and infrastructure and killing thousands of civilians.

Poland is assisting Ukraine with weapons, supporting Ukraine’s entry into the European Union, and is also providing various kinds of assistance to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. At the end of April, there were over a million Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

More background:

• On 17 May, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that talks with Ukraine are not proceeding because Kyiv has in fact walked out of the negotiations process.

• Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, has confirmed that talks with Russia are currently on hold for a number of reasons.