Russian MFA spokesperson spreading 'bogus narrative' about Poland

The spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry is “spreading a bogus narrative about Poland’s alleged plans for Ukraine,” a senior Polish security offcial has said.

Stanisław Żaryn took to Twitter on Friday to spotlight comments by Maria Zakharova, which he said were anti-Polish Kremlin propaganda.

"Notorious for her aggressive outreach and spreading lies, the Spox for the Russian Foreign Ministry has yet again attacked Poland," Żaryn tweeted. "This time, M. Zakharova amplified the Kremlin's bogus narrative about Poland's alleged plans to invade Ukraine."

Żaryn said Zakharova had based her statements on media reports suggesting Polish involvement in building a training centre in Ukraine, which she used as a starting point for a broadside against Poland.

"Her blatant manipulation was based on media reports suggesting the involvement of the Polish entities in the construction of a training center in Ukraine," Żaryn wrote. "According to Zakharova's, the initiative reported by the media 'drags Poland' into the conflict and constitutes a part of Warsaw's vicious plan to feed its imperial hungers at the expense of Ukraine – a narrative constantly pushed by the Kremlin."

He added that Zakharova, whom he described as "one of the most devoted mouthpieces of Russian propaganda" had falsely claimed that through assisting in the project, Poland sought to "increase its military presence in Ukraine" and that Warsaw's aim was to "exert control over its south-eastern neighbor."

"On top of that she lied that the allegedly massive presence of 'the Polish mercenaries' in Ukraine was a state-sanctioned preparation for the annexation of the country's Western lands," Żaryn wrote, going on to state that since its invasion in February last year, Russia had sought to destabilise Polish-Ukrainian relations and had to this end conducted a months-long disinformation campaign presenting Poland as a threat to Ukraine.