The Russian ambassador was summoned by the Polish foreign ministry after Putin said in a speech on Friday that Poland had regained independence thanks to Joseph Stalin's efforts.
Putin referred to the western territories of Poland as a "gift to the Poles” from the Soviet dictator and suggested that Warsaw was aiming to intervene in Ukraine and annex parts of its territory, a claim Warsaw has strongly denied.
Following the meeting, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński told Polish Press Agency (PAP): "The Ambassador of the Russian Federation Sergei Andreyev appeared at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting began at 10 am and was brief."
Referring to Putin’s comments, Jabłoński said: "such pseudo-historical remarks are actions that Poland perceives solely as provocation. We condemn such attempts to revise history. We condemn the exploitation of this for propaganda purposes and hybrid warfare."
Earlier on Friday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Twitter: "Stalin was a war criminal responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Poles. The historical truth is beyond doubt."
(ał)
Source: PAP