Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, has announced the launch of a commission that will investigate alleged Russian and Belarusian meddling in Polish affairs over the last 20 years.
Starting work immediately, the commission will explore apparent attempts by the Russians and Belarusians to influence Poland’s internal affairs and will ascertain to what extent such threats exist to this day.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Tusk said: “The Commission will start its work today. We really want this commission to be free from any temptations, strictly political or party-related, and to present reliable facts—to us, the state authorities, and also to the public—about what the real threats from Russia and Belarus may have looked like in the past and what they look like today.”
He added: “We already know exactly that these two countries and their secret services are most active in Poland.”
Adam Bodnar, the justice minister, said that the 12 commissioners had been selected so as to cover various fields of expertise, thereby ensuring “the broadest possible view of Russian and Belarusian influence.”
Continuing, Bodnar said that the group would work, when needed, alongside retired prosecutors who had previously been “intensively involved in the prosecution of Russian or Belarusian spies.”
Among others, the commission will include the former deputy head of the Internal Security Agency, the former president of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, and the former Polish ambassador to Austria. The conference was also attended by the head of the Military Counterintelligence Service, General Jarosław Stróżyk, who has been appointed to oversee the work of the commission. He said that the body would operate in several teams and cover different matters such as the economy, state security, and media.
Tusk promised that the commission would work quickly and would be provided with substantial support from the Ministry of Justice. The first findings are to be presented within two months, with further partial reports made at least once every two months thereafter.
General Stróżyk declined to reveal any specific incidents or topics that would be explored first and said that some findings would naturally remain classified.
Tusk, meanwhile, also revealed that he had talked to management figures at both Microsoft earlier today and Google a dozen or so days ago, not just about their respective investments in Poland but also about tech security and the need to curtail the spread of Russian disinformation.
Just last week, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) fell victim to Russian hacking and published two hoax messages warning of the imminent military call-up of 200,000 Poles.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Tusk said: “The Commission will start its work today. We really want this commission to be free from any temptations, strictly political or party-related, and to present reliable facts—to us, the state authorities, and also to the public—about what the real threats from Russia and Belarus may have looked like in the past and what they look like today.”
He added: “We already know exactly that these two countries and their secret services are most active in Poland.”
Adam Bodnar, the justice minister, said that the 12 commissioners had been selected so as to cover various fields of expertise, thereby ensuring “the broadest possible view of Russian and Belarusian influence.”
Continuing, Bodnar said that the group would work, when needed, alongside retired prosecutors who had previously been “intensively involved in the prosecution of Russian or Belarusian spies.”
Among others, the commission will include the former deputy head of the Internal Security Agency, the former president of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, and the former Polish ambassador to Austria. The conference was also attended by the head of the Military Counterintelligence Service, General Jarosław Stróżyk, who has been appointed to oversee the work of the commission. He said that the body would operate in several teams and cover different matters such as the economy, state security, and media.
Tusk promised that the commission would work quickly and would be provided with substantial support from the Ministry of Justice. The first findings are to be presented within two months, with further partial reports made at least once every two months thereafter.
General Stróżyk declined to reveal any specific incidents or topics that would be explored first and said that some findings would naturally remain classified.
Tusk, meanwhile, also revealed that he had talked to management figures at both Microsoft earlier today and Google a dozen or so days ago, not just about their respective investments in Poland but also about tech security and the need to curtail the spread of Russian disinformation.
Just last week, the Polish Press Agency (PAP) fell victim to Russian hacking and published two hoax messages warning of the imminent military call-up of 200,000 Poles.
Source: PAP / TVN24
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