WARSAW, Poland (AP) – A special commission investigating the influence of Russian and Belarusian forces in Poland announced on Wednesday its intention to refer a former defense minister for prosecution due to decisions that allegedly weakened Poland’s defenses ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Established in May by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-European Union government, the commission aims to probe instances of Russian and Belarusian interference in Polish politics dating back to 2004.
The commission highlighted escalating hybrid threats against Poland from Russia and Belarus, including sabotage efforts, cyberattacks, and increased migrant pressures at the border. General Jaroslaw Stróżyk, the commission’s head, criticized the previous conservative Law and Justice party administration for its contentious relationship with the European Union, particularly regarding judiciary reforms and rule-of-law violations.
Among the commission’s key findings, former Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz was accused of arbitrarily canceling plans to acquire tanker aircraft for Poland’s F-16 jets, a move deemed to have severely diminished the country’s aerial capabilities. Stróżyk characterized this decision as driven by Macierewicz’s “personal aversion to partners in the EU,” labeling it as “diplomatic treason.”
Moreover, Macierewicz was criticized for inefficiently managing Poland’s intelligence operations by reducing the number of regional bureaus from 15 to 5 in 2017. The commission noted a lack of defensive strategies from the previous government in light of pre-invasion warnings from the United States regarding Russian military aggression.
In response to the reports, Macierewicz dismissed the findings as “absurd.” The commission will now await prosecutors’ evaluations to determine further legal actions.
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