Poland becomes Russia's scapegoat

A flurry of threats against Poland from Russian officials signals that the Kremlin increasingly views Warsaw as a major challenge to its imperial ambitions. President Vladimir Putin has accused Poland of pursuing territorial claims in the former Soviet Union and engaging in aggression against Russia. Such rhetoric disguises a deep-rooted fear that Poland is poised to overshadow Russian influence in Moscow’s former dominions, particularly in Ukraine and Belarus. The Kremlin also fears that Warsaw will become the key location for a U.S. military presence that will confirm Russia’s military as a second-rate force.