Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the western territories of Poland are a "gift from Stalin," and Poland should be grateful to the USSR for "restoring its independence."

During a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council, Putin mentioned reports about discussions on the creation of a Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian union, which he interpreted as a "threat of occupation of Western Ukraine." He asserted that this would not be something new, recalling events from the 20th century.

"I want to remind you what aggressive policies led Poland to in the past. It ended tragically in 1939 when Poland was abandoned by its Western allies to the German war machine and practically lost its independence and sovereignty, which was largely restored thanks to the USSR. It was thanks to the Soviet Union and Stalin's position that Poland received significant territories in the West, German lands. Yes, the western territories of modern-day Poland are Stalin's gift to the Poles," said the President of Russia.

Previously, the speaker of the State Duma of Russia stated that Poland should be punished for "betraying historical memory" regarding the liberation by the Soviet Union during World War II. In response, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki dismissed it as "typical propaganda."

The Kremlin and self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko have repeatedly claimed that Poland poses a threat to Ukraine's territorial integrity.