MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused NATO member Poland of getting territorial ambitions within the former Soviet Union, and mentioned any aggression in opposition to Russia’s neighbour and shut ally Belarus could be thought of an assault on Russia.
Moscow would react to any aggression in opposition to Belarus, which types a free “Union State” with Russia, “with all of the means at our disposal”, Putin informed a gathering of his Safety Council in televised remarks.
Warsaw’s Safety Committee selected Wednesday to maneuver army models to japanese Poland after members of the Russian Wagner mercenary drive arrived in Belarus, the state-run information company PAP quoted its secretary as saying on Friday.
On Wednesday, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was proven in a video welcoming his fighters to Belarus, telling them they might take no additional half for now within the warfare in Ukraine however ordering them to collect energy for Africa whereas they educated the Belarusian military.
Prigozhin says Wagner, which led the grinding conquest of the Ukrainian metropolis of Bakhmut, is Russia’s only preventing drive. However his frequent clashes with the Moscow defence institution led him to stage an armed mutiny 4 weeks in the past.
The riot ended with an settlement that Wagner fighters, many recruited from jail, would both transfer to Belarus, join with the Russian military or return to their houses.
On Thursday, Belarus mentioned Wagner mercenaries had began to coach Belarusian particular forces at a army vary just some miles from the border with Poland.
Putin mentioned there have been press experiences of plans for a Polish-Lithuanian unit for use for operations in western Ukraine – components of which previously belonged to Poland – and in the end to occupy territory there.
“It’s well-known that in addition they dream of the Belarusian lands,” he mentioned, additionally with out offering any proof.
“However so far as Belarus is anxious, it’s a part of the Union State (with Russia); unleashing aggression in opposition to Belarus will imply aggression in opposition to the Russian Federation,” Putin mentioned. “We are going to reply to this with all of the means at our disposal.”
Poland denies any territorial ambitions in Belarus.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Modifying by Andrew Osborn)