Stanisław Żaryn made the remark in an interview with Polish state news agency PAP on Friday.
In a 8,000-word article on Polish-Russian relations, Medvedev, a former Russian president, wrote that Poland was now considered a "dangerous enemy" by Moscow and could end up losing its statehood if it continued on its current course, the Reuters news agency reported.
Dmitry Medvedev. Photo: PAP/EPA/ARTUR SHVARTS
Żaryn told the PAP news agency: “Russian leaders have been stoking hatred towards Poland for many years.”
He added that Medvedev’s article was full of “hatred and threats against Poland and NATO” and "typical of the Kremlin’s propaganda."
Żaryn also said that Medvedev “repeated the main lies propagated against Poland.”
He added that the article proved Russia was aware of Poland’s role in “significantly reducing Russia’s influence in Europe in recent years.”
Żaryn told PAP that Moscow was seeking to “pressure Europe into resuming political and economic cooperation with Russia,” while “Poland is blocking such an option, sparking aggression from the Kremlin.”
Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, wrote that his country now had a “dangerous enemy” in Poland, according to Reuters.
Medvedev stated: "We will treat it (Poland) precisely as a historical enemy. If there is no hope for reconciliation with the enemy, Russia should have only one and a very tough attitude regarding its fate."
He added: "History has more than once delivered a merciless verdict to the presumptuous Poles: no matter how ambitious the revanchist plans may be, their collapse could lead to the death of Polish statehood in its entirety."
Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine has further strained the already tense relations between Warsaw and Moscow, Reuters reported.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.
Friday is day 618 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, Reuters