Past denials from Moscow are raising fresh concerns in Warsaw as officials recall how similar claims preceded major escalation. The warning highlights lingering risks despite ongoing war constraints.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski commented on a statement by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who called warnings about possible Russian provocations on Polish territory “Western propaganda” and an attempt at intimidation.
Sikorski emphasized that similar denials from the Russian authorities had been heard before – prior to the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to him, at that time Moscow also publicly rejected any intentions of aggression.
They said the same thing a few weeks before the invasion of Ukraine. They categorically denied having any intention to attack Ukraine, just as they previously denied that the “little green men” in Crimea were their troops; they said that anyone could buy weapons
– Radosław Sikorski
He also expressed the view that while fighting continues in Ukraine, Russia is limited in its ability to carry out large-scale military operations against Western countries.
At the same time, according to the minister, this does not rule out the risk of individual incidents or provocations that could be directed, in particular, against Poland.
If representatives of the Russian authorities say that this will not happen, then they are either lying or may have abandoned their intentions in light of our warnings
– Radosław Sikorski
Thus, in Poland there are calls to take potential threats seriously and to take into account previous experience of dealing with the Russian side, when such denials did not match subsequent actions.