Any attack by the Wagner Group against Poland will be treated as an attack by Russian authorities, said U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield. The ambassador made the comment after Polish journalists asked about the U.S. reaction to the presence of the Wagner Group in Belarus and threats to Poland.
“We have seen their hostile efforts on the African continent, so we certainly fear the activity of this group on behalf of Russian authorities, as they do not operate independently of Russian authorities,” she said. “This is a threat to us all, and we need to ensure that our message is clear: that any attack by the Wagner Group will be recognized as an attack by Russian authorities,” said Thomas-Greenfield.
Earlier, the U.S. State Department commented on the reports on threats to Poland by Wagner mercenaries and stated that the U.S. would defend the entire NATO territory.
Thomas-Greenfield also expressed U.S. concerns about possible Russian attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea, pointing to Kremlin statements on this matter.
“These are not actions we would expect from a permanent member of the Security Council,” she commented.
The presence of mercenaries from the Wagner Group on Belarusian territory has been confirmed, but it is unclear how large the presence will be in the end.
“Heavy equipment units are being moved. They are supposed to be used allegedly for training, but we never know what Alexander Lukashenko is planning. Prime Minister (Mateusz Morawiecki) talked about it, that over 100 Wagner mercenaries were moved toward the Polish-Lithuanian border,” said Marcin Przydacz, head of the International Policy Office of the Chancellery of the President of Poland on Sunday.
