Poland's commission looking into Russian influences finds ex-defense minister at fault

The caput of a committee investigating Russian and Belarusian influences successful Poland says it will mention to prosecutors a erstwhile defense curate whose decisions it said impaired Poland’s defenses up of Russia’s warfare connected Ukraine

WARSAW, Poland -- The caput of a special committee investigating Russian and Belarusian influences successful Poland said Wednesday that it will mention to prosecutors a erstwhile defense curate whose decisions it said impaired Poland’s defenses up of Russia’s 2022 warfare connected Ukraine.

The committee was launched successful May by nan pro-European Union authorities of Prime Minister Donald Tusk to analyse cases of Russia and Belarus exerting power connected Poland’s authorities since 2004.

Tusk and different officials opportunity Poland, a cardinal state of Ukraine, is facing intensified hybrid attacks from Russia and its neighbour and state Belarus that see acts of sabotage, cyberattacks and growing migrant pressure on nan Poland-Belarus border.

Poland's erstwhile authorities was successful nan hands of nan blimpish Law and Justice statement that put Poland astatine likelihood pinch nan European Union, chiefly complete changes to nan country's justness strategy and rule-of-law principles.

Gen. Jaroslaw Stróżyk, caput of nan committee and nan Military Counterintelligence Service, presented nan first unclassified conclusions that saw immoderate of that government’s decisions arsenic perchance hurting Poland’s interests.

Stróżyk said that Antoni Macierewicz, defense curate successful 2015-18, without immoderate study aliases consultation, canceled plans to acquisition tanker craft for Poland’s F-16 pitchy fighters, frankincense reducing their airborne clip and defense capabilities.

The committee said nan determination was dictated by Macierewicz's “personal aversion to partners successful nan EU” and called it a “diplomatic treason.” Stróżyk said nan committee will mention him to prosecutors, who will determine whether to return further action.

The committee besides blamed Macierewicz for hurting nan operations of Poland’s typical services and intelligence by closing 10 retired of their 15 location bureaus successful 2017.

Stróżyk said nan committee recovered nary signs that nan erstwhile authorities held immoderate debates aliases took immoderate pro-defense decisions successful consequence to U.S. warnings that Russia was preparing to onslaught neighbouring Ukraine.

Macierewicz connected Wednesday dismissed nan report, calling it "absurd.”