Kremlin website, 7/21/23 (English translation via Google translate)

The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, Vice-President of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Secretary of the Security Council Nikolay Patrushev, Minister of the Interior Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Naryshkin.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.

We have several issues today, one of which is the development of relations with our friends on the African continent, and the Russia-Africa summit will soon be held in Russia. And the issue related to such an important area as the use of information technology, of course, in relation to ensuring the country’s security.

But first, I would like to ask if anyone has any current questions? Yes, please, Sergei Evgenievich.

Sergei Naryshkin: Mr President, colleagues!

According to information coming to the service from several sources, official Warsaw is gradually coming to the realization that no Western assistance to Kyiv is able to support Ukraine for the purposes that were laid down in this assistance. Moreover, there comes the realization that the issue of Ukraine’s defeat is only a matter of time.

In this regard, the Polish leadership is strengthening its intention to control the western territories of Ukraine, the western regions, by deploying its troops there. Such a step, as one of the options, is planned to be formalized as the fulfillment of allied obligations within the framework of the Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian security initiative – this is the so-called Lublin Triangle.

In this regard, we see that it is planned to significantly increase the size of the combined arms Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade, which operates under the auspices of this so-called Lublin triangle.

It seems to us that these rather dangerous plans of the Polish leadership should be closely monitored.

Vladimir Putin: Yes. This is what Mr Medvedev has just said, and it should be discussed in more detail. This information has already appeared in the European, in particular in the French, press.

In this regard, I think it would be appropriate to recall some of the lessons of the history of the twentieth century.

Today it is obvious that the Western curators of the Kyiv regime are clearly disappointed with the results of the so-called counteroffensive, which the current Ukrainian authorities loudly broadcast in previous months. There are no results, at least not yet. Neither the colossal resources that were “pumped” into the Kyiv regime, nor the supply of Western weapons: tanks, artillery, armored vehicles, missiles, nor the dispatch of thousands of foreign mercenaries and advisers who were most actively used in attempts to break through the front of our army help.

At the same time, the command of the special military operation acts professionally. Our soldiers and officers, units and formations fulfill their duty to the Motherland courageously, steadfastly, heroically. At the same time, the whole world sees that the vaunted Western, supposedly invulnerable equipment is on fire, and in terms of its tactical and technical data, it is often even inferior to some Soviet-made weapons.

Yes, of course, Western weapons can still be additionally supplied and thrown into battle. This, of course, causes us some damage and prolongs the conflict. But, first, NATO’s arsenals and stocks of old Soviet weapons in some states are already largely devastated. And secondly, the existing production facilities in the West do not allow to quickly replenish the consumption of reserves of equipment and ammunition. We need additional, and more resources and time.

And most importantly, as a result of suicidal attacks, the formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine suffered huge losses. These are tens of thousands, tens of thousands of people.

And, despite the constant raids, the incessant waves of total mobilization in the cities and villages of Ukraine, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the current regime to drive new recruits to the front. The country’s mobilization resource is being depleted.

People in Ukraine are increasingly asking a question, a legitimate question: for what, for whose selfish interests are their relatives and friends dying? Gradually, slowly, but sobering up.

We see that public opinion is changing in Europe as well. Both Europeans and representatives of the European elites see that the so-called support for Ukraine is, in fact, a dead end, a waste of money and effort, but in fact it serves someone else’s, far from European interests: the interests of the overseas global hegemon, which benefits from the weakening of Europe. He also benefits from the endless prolongation of the Ukrainian conflict.

Judging by what is happening in real life, today’s ruling elites in the United States are doing just that. In any case, they act in this logic. Whether such a policy corresponds to the true, fundamental interests of the American people is a big question, a rhetorical question, of course, let them decide for themselves.

However, now the fire of war is being intensively fomented. In particular, they use the ambitions of the leaders of some Eastern European states, who have long turned hatred of Russia and Russophobia into their main export commodity and an instrument of their domestic policy. And now they want to warm their hands on the Ukrainian tragedy.

In this regard, I would be remiss if I did not comment on what has just been said: the press reports about plans to create a so-called Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian unit. That is, we are not talking about some kind of gathering of mercenaries – there are enough of them there, and they are being destroyed – but about a regular, cobbled-together, equipped military unit that is planned to be used for operations on the territory of Ukraine. Including to supposedly ensure the security of modern Western Ukraine, and in fact, if you call a spade a spade, for the subsequent occupation of these territories. After all, the prospect is obvious: if Polish units enter, for example, Lviv or other territories of Ukraine, then they will remain there. And they will remain forever.

And this, by the way, will not be anything new. Let me remind you that after the defeat of Germany and its allies following the results of the First World War, Polish units occupied Lviv and adjacent lands that then belonged to Austria-Hungary.

Poland, instigated by the West, took advantage of the tragedy of the Civil War in Russia, annexed some historical Russian provinces. Our country, which was then in a difficult situation, was forced to conclude the Treaty of Riga in 1921 and actually recognize the rejection of its territories.

And even earlier, in 1920, Poland seized part of Lithuania – the Vilnius region, the territory around modern Vilnius. It seems that together with the Lithuanians they fought against the so-called “Russian imperialism”, and as soon as the opportunity turned up, they immediately chopped off a piece of land from their neighbors.

Poland, as you know, also took part in the partition of Czechoslovakia as a result of the Munich agreement with Hitler in 1938. Completely occupied Cieszyn Silesia.

In the 20s and 30s of the last century, in the so-called Eastern Kresy of Poland – and this is the territory of Western Ukraine, Western Belarus and part of Lithuania – severe Polonization and assimilation of local residents was carried out, national cultures and Orthodoxy were suppressed.

I would also like to remind you of how such an aggressive policy ended for Poland as a result. It ended with the national tragedy of 1939, when Poland was abandoned by the Western Allies to be devoured by the German war machine and actually lost its independence and statehood, which was restored to a large extent thanks to the Soviet Union. And it was thanks to the Soviet Union, thanks to Stalin’s position, that Poland received significant lands in the West, the lands of Germany. This is exactly right: the western territories of present-day Poland are Stalin’s gift to the Poles.

Have our friends in Warsaw forgotten about it? We will remind.

Today we see that the regime in Kiev is ready to do anything to save its corrupt skin and prolong its existence. They do not care about the people of Ukraine, its sovereignty and national interests.

They will trade in everything: both people and land. By the way, just like their ideological predecessors, the Petliurists, who in 1920 concluded so-called secret conventions with Poland, according to which, in exchange for military support, they gave Poland the lands of Galicia and Western Volhynia. Such traitors are still ready to open the gates for foreign owners and once again sell Ukraine.

As for the Polish leaders, they probably expect to form some kind of coalition under the NATO umbrella and directly intervene in the conflict in Ukraine, in order to then tear off a fatter piece for themselves, to regain for themselves, as they believe, their historical territories – today’s Western Ukraine. It is well known that they also dream of Belarusian lands.

As for the policy of the Ukrainian regime, this is his business. They want, as is usual with traitors, to hand over something, sell it, pay off the owners with something – this, I repeat, is their business in the end. We will not interfere in this.

But as for Belarus, it is part of the Union State, unleashing aggression against Belarus will mean aggression against the Russian Federation. We will respond to this with all the means at our disposal.

The Polish authorities, nurturing their revanchist plans, do not tell the truth to their people either. And the truth is that the West is clearly not enough Ukrainian “cannon fodder”, not enough. Therefore, they plan to use new consumables: the Poles themselves, Lithuanians and further down the list – everyone who is not sorry.

I will say one thing: this is a very dangerous game, and the authors of such plans should think about the consequences.

Sergey Evgenievich, I hope that your service, as well as our other special services, will closely follow the development of events.

Now let’s get down to our main questions.