Warns Poland Not To Try To Attack Belarus, President Putin: We Will Respond In Any Way

JAKARTA - President Vladimir Putin on Friday accused Poland, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), of having territorial ambitions in the former state of the soviet Union, warning of aggression against Russia's neighboring and close ally, Belarus, would be considered an attack on Russia.

Moscow will react to any aggression against Belarus, which formed a "Negara Kesatuan" with Russia, "in all the way we have", Putin said at a Security Council meeting in a speech broadcast on television.

The Warsaw Security Committee on Wednesday decided to move military units to eastern Poland after members of the Wagner Group's Russian mercenaries arrived in Belarus, the PAP government-owned news agency quoted its secretary as saying on Friday.

President Putin said there were press reports of plans for Polish-Lituanian units to be used for operations in western Ukraine - which in the past were part of Poland - with the final goal said to occupy the region.

"It is known that they also dream of Belarusian land," President Putin said without providing any evidence.

"However, as far as Belarus is concerned, it is part of the Unitary State (with Russia). Launching aggression against Belarus means aggression against the Russian Federation," President Putin stressed.

"We will respond to this in every way we have," he said.

Poland itself denies any territorial ambitions in Belarus.

On Wednesday, Wagner Group Head Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared in a video welcoming his fighters in Belarus, saying they would not take further part for now in the war in Ukraine, but ordered them to gather forces for Wagner's operations in Africa, while they trained Belarusian soldiers.

Prigozhin said the Wagner Group, which leads the conquest of the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine, was Russia's most effective combat force. However, the frequent clashes with Moscow's defense forces saw him launch an armed uprising four weeks ago.

On Thursday, Minsk said Wagner's mercenaries began training Belarusian special forces at a military exercise just a few miles from the Polish border.