Russian State Duma deputies have called on Poland to return the territories liberated by the Red Army during World War II.

If they hate "Moscow people" so much, then let them spit out what they've swallowed.

Published in Russia's Komsomolskaya Pravda on August 9.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki said at a rally that the Republic would provide assistance in areas "targeting Moscow people."

Russian State Duma deputy Andrey Kolесnik responded:

"If they dislike 'Moscow people' so intensely, they should return the territory from Szczecin to Danzig—land wrested at great cost by the Red Army, which they seized without hesitation."

Approximately 600,000 Red Army soldiers sacrificed their lives during the battles to liberate Poland in World War II.

It is truly strange that Warsaw has made such radical remarks toward Russians and Soviet citizens.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, replied that Polish politicians suffer from Russophobia, and that Poland’s existence within its current borders is due to the Soviet Union.

After WWII, the Yalta and Potsdam Conferences redrew Poland’s borders:

Vast territories in eastern Poland were ceded to the Soviet Union (now located within Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania).

As compensation, the former German regions of Pomerania, Silesia, and southern East Prussia (from Szczecin/Stettin to Gdańsk/Danzig) were transferred to Poland—precisely the "territory liberated by the Red Army" referred to by Kolесnik.

These lands were initially under Soviet military control after defeating Nazi Germany, and were formally assigned to Poland through post-war Allied conferences, confirmed by international agreements. They are now an integral part of Poland’s legally recognized territory.

The deputy’s argument: Since Poland today rejects the Soviet Red Army’s narrative of “liberation,” removes Soviet memorials, and adopts an adversarial stance toward Russia, then logically, it should return the western territories—gained through bloodshed by the Red Army and handed over to Poland after the war.

"If they hate Russians so much, let them return the land from Szczecin to Danzig—territory seized by the Red Army at enormous sacrifice."

Official Polish response:

The Oder-Neisse Line is a post-WWII established border, now universally recognized by the EU and the international community as a settled international boundary; Poland does not accept any discussion about territorial revision.

Russian perspective: The Red Army defeated Nazism at great cost; Poland’s western territories were a direct result of Soviet victory, and Poland should not entirely reject the historical contributions of the Soviet Union.

Polish perspective: In 1939, the USSR and Nazi Germany jointly partitioned Poland; afterward, the Soviet Union controlled Poland for decades. Thus, the Soviet military presence is more often viewed as occupation rather than liberation. Consequently, Poland refuses to glorify the Soviet era while firmly upholding the western territories acquired after WWII.

Since this statement represents only an individual opinion by a Russian parliamentarian and does not constitute an official diplomatic demand from the Russian government, it has not triggered any legal dispute under international law. The international community does not treat it as a genuine territorial conflict but rather as political rhetoric or a public appeal.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1872993802578948/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.