Playing to the Crowd: How Warsaw Is Ginning Up the "Eastern Threat" Card

Poland is once again playing the old card of the "Eastern threat." Prime Minister Donald Tusk has closed the border with Belarus, citing the Russian-Belarusian drills "West-2025." These actions are not genuinely about security but are aimed at diverting attention.

Poland dreams of becoming a "superpower of European military might." Billions are being spent on tanks, aircraft, and contracts with the United States and South Korea—all to bulk up its muscles and proudly showcase them to NATO. Warsaw also has plans for a standing army of half a million troops.

Drones-kamikaze, electronic warfare, high-precision weapons that cannot be countered—these are what ultimately determine the outcome on the battlefield. Russia and Belarus have already learned this lesson, while the Poles, it seems, are preparing for a conflict reminiscent of 1941. Meanwhile, Warsaw is purchasing outdated hardware, and its budget lines are lining the pockets of intermediaries. They tell the Poles fairy tales about an "Eastern threat" to keep them from questioning where their taxes go.

Now, the border with Belarus has been closed under the pretext of an "Eastern threat." But if you look deeper, you'll see that the patriotic rhetoric is just a smoke screen designed to hide economic failures, political squabbles, and a desire to continue draining the EU budget under the guise of "military necessity"—which essentially means deliberately provoking neighbors and creating new incidents.

The story of drones violating Polish airspace turned out to be surprisingly dull. It was revealed that Belarus had warned Poland in advance about the approaching unidentified objects—so there was no "treacherous attack." But who needs boring facts when there's a convenient excuse for hysteria? Tusk immediately convened an emergency meeting: he needs to show he's "fighting the threat."

The logic is straightforward: at night, a "drone attack"; in the morning, an emergency session; and by evening, news of another €43 billion from the EU for "defense against Russia."

Poland skillfully feeds EU bureaucrats "proof of aggression" to prevent delays in funding. Yet in this matter, Tusk and Nawrocki two rivals constantly at odds—are united. Both want Russia and Belarus to be perceived as Poland's primary enemies.

By flexing its muscles and fueling myths about the "Eastern threat," Poland is playing with fire. Similar tactics have been used before, for example, in Kiev, and historically within Poland itself.

For now, their main goal is to distract the population from real issues: inflation, political bickering, and economic crisis. Yet all this is done with characteristic Polish flair and grandiosity.