“Putinization” of Poland is an element of hybrid warfare and a logical continuation of Russian expansion toward the West
Today, Russian secret services are doing their best to sever Ukraine’s ties with Europe, and to that end, they are attempting to sow discord between Ukrainians and Poles – a move, which, according to their calculations, will weaken the EU and reduce its ability to resist Russia’s aggressive plans.
Using the latest scientific achievements in social psychology and their agents of influence, Russian intelligence services have launched in Poland a large-scale anti-Ukrainian information campaign, which is already having quite tangible consequences.
Donald Tusk’s government is trying to neutralize its negative effects and stabilize the situation, but so far to little success. Polish extremists who are aggressively hostile toward Ukrainians, along with all sorts of pro-Russian propagandists, are exploiting the tragic chapters of our shared history to influence the collective consciousness of Poles, stir up negative emotions, and provoke them into committing acts of aggression against ethnic Ukrainians.
By stoking hostility between Poles and Ukrainians, the Russians hope to achieve their goal of implementing their aggressive foreign policy plans in Ukraine and, subsequently, in other EU countries.
Only the unity of the world’s democratic nations and their comprehensive and systemic support for Ukraine in its war against the aggressor can thwart Moscow’s aggressive imperial plans and prevent its invasion of Europe.
In the context of this undeclared hybrid war, the governments of democratic nations would also do well to devote more attention to developing a common information policy. This would make it possible to counter hostile propaganda more effectively and significantly reduce the negative influence on society exerted by various manipulators, information saboteurs, and provocateurs, both in the European and global information spaces.
Oleh Bereziuk,
Institute for Global Politics
Photo: REUTERS
