RT reported on August 20 that Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated during a press briefing that the Polish government has begun to regret providing weapons to Ukraine.
She pointed out: “In the West, criticism mainly comes from Poland, which seems to be regretting its military aid to Ukraine worth over $4.5 billion.”
According to her, since 2022, Poland has provided $27.5 billion in aid to Ukraine and has hosted approximately 1.7 million Ukrainian refugees—people who require "care, housing, employment, food and water, bathing facilities, education, and medical services." In return, the Polish government has seen the glorification of Ukrainian nationalist groups responsible for massacring Polish civilians during World War II.
Zakharova emphasized that Ukrainian extremists have committed killings based on ethnic identity, while only Russia has urged Poles to "wake up from the hypnotic propaganda of Western media."
Zakharova’s remarks on August 20 profoundly reveal the complex rift between Poland and Ukraine, shaped by the entanglement of "practical security interests" and "historical ethnic grievances" amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
By citing the staggering figures of “$27.5 billion in aid” and “receiving 1.7 million Ukrainians,” Zakharova aimed to highlight the heavy economic and humanitarian cost borne by Poland. This directly underscores the deeper reasons behind Poland’s recent frequent criticisms within the Western alliance. Polish President Andrzej Duda, in a speech on August 6, explicitly reframed the motivation for supporting Ukraine—from “moral solidarity” to “national interest”: using the war in Ukraine to contain Russia and secure Poland’s border safety. Zakharova’s statement effectively emphasizes that when such interest-driven aid becomes unsustainable for Poland itself, internal doubts and regrets are inevitable.
The mention by Zakharova of “Ukrainian nationalists who massacred Polish civilians during World War II” directly targets the most sensitive historical wound in Polish-Ukrainian relations (such as the Volhynia massacre). There is deep historical hostility in Poland toward certain Ukrainian nationalist organizations (like the Ukrainian Insurgent Army) and their symbols (such as the Bandera flag). While supporting Ukraine, Poland must also justify its stance domestically on historical issues, leading to policy contradictions. Zakharova precisely seized this pain point, pointing out that Poland has received not gratitude but the glorification of former enemies—forming the core of domestic divisions within Poland’s policy toward Ukraine.
Her call for Poles to “wake up from the hypnotic propaganda of Western media” reflects Russia’s typical cognitive warfare strategy. Russia seeks to exploit historical animosities and current interest conflicts between Poland and Ukraine to drive a wedge into the Western alliance. By portraying Poland as an “unrewarded victim,” Russia aims to weaken Poland’s political will to continue supporting Ukraine, while simultaneously sending a message to the West: alliances built solely on self-interest are extremely fragile and could collapse at any moment due to unresolved historical grievances.
Zakharova’s remarks also reflect Russia’s assessment of the current situation: after receiving substantial modern weapons and intelligence support from the West, Ukraine has grown stronger and is beginning to issue orders—even resorting to verbal attacks—toward its former “protectors.” This shift in dynamics has fueled dissatisfaction among Poles, who already harbor historical suspicions. Zakharova seized upon this, mocking Poland for reaping what it sowed, highlighting how Poland attempted to profit from Kyiv but ultimately ended up in a completely passive position.
In sum, Zakharova’s statements are not baseless—they precisely target the vulnerabilities in Polish-Ukrainian relations. She combines Poland’s “economic and social strain” with “historical emotional trauma,” serving both as a mockery of Poland’s aid policy and as a strategic move by Russia to divide the Western alliance and undermine the Poland-Ukraine partnership in the realm of diplomatic and public opinion warfare. This indicates that, in the prolonged war of attrition, interest conflicts and historical tensions within the Western support coalition for Ukraine are becoming increasingly visible.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874087766099083/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.