Putin is ready to launch invasion of Nato nations to test West, warns Polish spy boss
8 May 2024, 07:53 | Updated: 9 May 2024, 10:43
Vladimir Putin is ready to launch an invasion of Nato nations and annex parts of Estonia and Sweden to test the West, the head of Poland's counterintelligence service has warned.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Jarosław Stróżyk said Putin is in a position where he could begin planning a small-scale invasion but is holding back due to the West's response to the attack in Ukraine.
"Putin is certainly already prepared for some mini-operation against one of the Baltic countries, for example, to enter the famous Narva [municipality in Estonia] or to land on one of the Swedish islands," Mr Stróżyk told Polish paper Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
He added: "What the West is doing together to support Ukraine shows him that in the event of an attack on Nato, the Western response would be even greater."
He said his predictions over a potential attack are only based on a few presumptions from agencies but Russia is capable of making such a move.
It comes as several member states have already begun alerting citizens about potential Russian aggression.
Poland has said it is ready to host nuclear weapons on their borders if asked to by Nato.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said: "Russia is increasingly militarising Kaliningrad. Recently it has been relocating its nuclear weapons to Belarus.
"If our allies decide to deploy nuclear arms on our territory as part of nuclear sharing, to reinforce Nato's eastern flank, we are ready to do so.
"I've already talked about it several times. I must admit that when asked about it, I declared our readiness."
Read more: Russia announces nuclear weapon drills in warning to West after clash with senior officials
Putin begins fifth term as Russian president after orchestrated election
It comes after Putin was sworn in for historic fifth term as Russian president.
As part of the ceremony, he vowed to fight for the "rights of Russians", adding that he would uphold the "security and integrity of the state".
In his address, Putin declared: "The destiny of Russia will be determined by ourselves only." "I will do everything possible, everything within my abilities to justify your trust."
He added: "We are a single and great nation and together we will overcome all obstacles and implement and realise everything that we dream of.
"Together we will win."
He went on to say that Russia is ready to become an "honest" partner with anybody who is willing.
"We are not even refusing the dialogue with Western countries," he said, adding: "We will see if they continue to halt the development of our country and continue to put pressure on our country, or look for ways to cooperate with us."
It came as a plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was uncovered by Ukraine's state security service (SBU).
As part of a Telegram post, Head of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk, described the attempt as a "gift to Putin before the inauguration".
