Russian media reports say Poland’s authorities plan to annex parts in western Ukraine.

Poland’s authorities plan to get "compensated" for assistance to Ukraine  in the form of the part of its territory – Lvov and Ivano-Frankovsk regions and most part of Ternopol region of Ukriane,” Sergey Naryshkin, the chief of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), told RIA Novosti in interview on November 30.  

“In order to ensure the legitimacy of the planned territorial acquisitions, the Polish authorities have decided to use successful Russian experience of returning ancestral territories through the holding of referendums there,” Naryshkin was quoted as saying.  

According to him, Poland’s security services have already leaked information to the Ukrainian media on preparations for voting in the Lvov region on the annexation of the region to Poland in order to analyze the reaction of citizens.  

It is to be noted that Naryshkin has previously also made statements that Poland plans to take control over part of western Ukraine.  In late April, he cited unpublished intelligence that he said showed the United States and Poland, NATO allies, were plotting to restore Polish control over part of western Ukraine.

On May 31, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said during a press conference that he believes Poland plans to annex parts of western Ukraine.

Russia’s top diplomat Sergey Lavrov said in June that Poland is plotting to grab Ukraine while meddling in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks.  “For the time being, we see that behind talking about the unacceptability of any dialogue with Russia, Polish colleagues are beginning to actively master the territory of Ukraine,” Lavrov said.    

Meanwhile, Western media reports say amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland has emerged as a key supporter of Ukraine and it was enough for Moscow to consider the country hostile to the Kremlin.