Kremlin spokesman slams Poland's rhetoric against Russia

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the rhetoric by Poland's politicians against Russia "openly hostile."

He further said Poland may pose a threat for Ukraine's territorial integrity as Polish officials often mention that part of Ukraine's territory consists of "historic Polish lands."

"There has been very hostile rhetoric from Poland in recent months, it has traditionally not been friendly for a long time, but in recent months it has become hostile, and the fact that Poland may pose a threat to the territorial integrity of Ukraine are obvious facts," Peskov said.

Earlier, the Russian Intelligence Service claimed that Poland may dispatch its troops to the western part of Ukraine under the pretext of help against "Russian aggression."

Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus may later fight together against Poland in order to restore Ukraine's territorial integrity.

The Kremlin spokesman declined to comment on Lukashenko's statement.

Tensions have been running high in Eastern Europe after Russia launched a war on Ukraine on Feb. 24.

Western nations and the EU have put their weight behind Ukraine and placed a plethora of sanctions on Russia as Russia's neighbors scramble to pick a side.

At least 3,280 civilians have been killed and 3,451 others injured in Ukraine since the war with Russia began on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates. The true toll is feared to be much higher.

More than 5.7 million people have fled to other countries, with some 7.7 million people internally displaced, data from the UN refugee agency show.