Dmitry Medvedev.Photo: charter97.
Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and current deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, responded to statements made by the former Polish army chief of staff, Raimund Andrzejczak. During the Defending Baltics conference, the latter said that in the event of a hypothetical Russian aggression against Lithuania, Poland is ready to strike at St Petersburg. This was reported by Israel’s Channel 9.
Threats from Poland
Andrzejczak stressed that in the event of an attack on Lithuania, NATO countries are ready for an “immediate response”. “We will strike all strategic targets within a 300km radius and attack St Petersburg,” he said, adding that NATO countries have several more years to prepare for a possible escalation of the situation. The general expressed concern that if Ukraine loses and Belarus integrates into the “union state”, Russian troops could end up in the western regions, including Lviv.
Warsaw’s military procurement
The Polish general also said that Warsaw plans to purchase 800 missiles with a range of up to 900 km to counter possible aggression from Moscow. He called on NATO countries to take the initiative and show Russia serious consequences for aggression against Poland or Lithuania.
Medvedev’s reaction
In response to these threats, Medvedev called Andrzejczak a “retired fool” and emphasised the historical context linking Poland and Russia. “Have you forgotten about the numerous divisions of Poland? Warsaw was part of the Russian Empire. Do you miss it?” he asked the Polish general.
Medvedev did not limit himself to criticising Andrzejczak. He also made a number of insulting remarks about Finnish diplomats and mocked British Prime Minister Kim Stramer, whom he accused of confusing Israeli hostages with sausages. Underscoring his skepticism of Western policies, Medvedev also predicted “prolonged, distorted violence” from NATO to Ukraine, indicating that Western countries were, in his view, ignoring their own internal problems by spending resources to support Kyiv.
The statements by Medvedev and Andrzejczak once again highlight the tensions between Russia and Poland, as well as the deteriorating political situation in the region caused by the war in Ukraine and fears of further Russian aggression.
