Putin: Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian connection can be used to occupy Ukraine
MOSCOW, 21 July. /TASS/. The Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian military unit is planned to be used to occupy the territories of Western Ukraine: if the Poles enter Lviv, they will stay there, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an operational meeting with the Security Council.
“I can’t help but comment on what was just said [at the meeting by the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin], and the reports that appeared in the press about plans to create some so-called Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian formation. That is, this is not about some kind of gathering of mercenaries - there are enough of them, and they are being destroyed, but about a regular, well-knit, equipped military formation that is planned to be used for operations on the territory of Ukraine,” Putin said. including for allegedly ensuring the security of modern Western Ukraine, but in fact, if you call a spade a spade, for the subsequent occupation of these territories. After all, the prospect is obvious - if Polish units enter, for example, Lviv or other territories of Ukraine, they will remain there. And they will remain forever."
History lessons for Poland
According to the president, "there will be nothing new in this." He recalled that after the defeat of Germany and its allies following the results of World War I, Polish units occupied Lvov and the surrounding lands, which then belonged to Austria-Hungary.
"Poland, incited by the West, took advantage of the tragedy of the Civil War in Russia, annexed some of the historical Russian provinces. Our country, which was then in a difficult situation, was forced to sign the Treaty of Riga in 1921 and actually recognize the rejection of its territories," Putin said. In addition, even before 1920, Poland captured part of Lithuania - the Vilna region, which includes modern Vilnius. “It seems that together with the Lithuanians they fought against the so-called Russian imperialism, but as soon as the opportunity turned up, they immediately “chopped off” a piece of land from their neighbors,” the Russian president noted. Also, he recalled, "Poland also took part in the division of Czechoslovakia as a result of the Munich agreement with Hitler in 1938", completely occupying Cieszyn Silesia.
Putin called the western territories of Poland "Stalin's gift to the Poles."