The U.S. ambassador in Warsaw came to Poland’s defense on Monday following repeated claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Poland bears blame for the outbreak of World War II.
“Dear President Putin, Hitler and Stalin colluded to start WWII. That is a fact. Poland was a victim of this horrible conflict,” Ambassador Georgette Mosbacher said on Twitter in English and Polish — though not in Russian.
Dear President Putin, Hitler and Stalin colluded to start WWII. That is a fact. Poland was a victim of this horrible conflict.
— Georgette Mosbacher (@USAmbPoland)
The relationship between Russia and Poland has been tense since Poland threw off Moscow-controlled communist rule 30 years ago and began moving closer to the West. Poland has since joined NATO, the European Union and has cultivated a close alliance with the United States.
Poland has also been making efforts to reduce its dependence on Russian gas and oil and has vocally opposed Nord Stream 2, a Russian-German gas pipeline under construction that will transport Russian gas to Western Europe, bypassing Poland and Ukraine.