What Russia and Belarus tell Polish audiences
Narratives pushed at Polish audiences by Russian and Belarusian state media and documented influence-operation outlets.
Delegitimising Poland through a revisionist account of 17 September 1939
The Red Army’s entry into Poland on 17 September 1939 is cast as the return of “western lands” to the Belarusian SSR and the unification of Belarusians. The Polish state is portrayed as having banned Belarusian history, culture and language, while the advance’s boundaries are presented as the ethnic borders of Belarus and Ukraine. In a BELTA lecture, assessments from London and Paris are inflated into a conclusion that the USSR bore no equal responsibility for starting the war and seized no foreign land.
Portrayal of Poland as “Expendable Material” in US Geopolitical Games
Poland and Ukraine are depicted as powerless buffer zones used by Western “globalists” to exhaust Russia at the expense of these countries' security. The messaging claims that Warsaw is sacrificing its own sovereignty and economy for Washington's interests, repeating Ukraine's fate. This framing aims to sow distrust in NATO and US alliance commitments.
Amplifying fear of Russian strikes and doubts about alliances
Statements by Polish officials and reports of air alerts in border voivodeships are cast as proof of imminent Russian strikes on Poland. References to hybrid action and to 17 September are inflated into an image of war repeating itself. The readiness of alliances is portrayed as doubtful, combining security concerns with an electoral appeal.
Dismissal of state policy as “empty PR” and political games
The Polish authorities are accused of prioritising symbolic gestures and historical memory over real security needs and diplomacy. Manipulators contrast the commemoration of past heroes with the alleged inability of modern politicians to protect national interests.
Labeling Ukrainian historical memory as a “cult of terrorism”
The reburial of Yevhen Konovalets is presented as evidence of the official celebration of “fascism” and “terrorism” at the state level in Ukraine. The manipulation exploits complex figures of the Ukrainian liberation movement to discredit the modern Ukrainian state in the eyes of Polish society.
Portrayal of Poland as a “Deceived Sponsor” in Military Aid Provision
Poland is cast as an exploited party, forced by Ukraine and Western allies to bear disproportionate military support costs without receiving proper gratitude or compensation. Propaganda inflates technical service incidents, such as those involving Starlink, to convince Poles that their country is merely a tool in someone else's game.