Poland’s steely response to Russia’s hybrid warfare - Eastern European countries are keeping out Russia’s “weaponized migrants.” Reporters got a look.

Washington post ^ | 19th May 2026 | Jim Geraghty

[Cronos]

In 2020, just 246 people tried to sneak into Poland from Belarus through the marshy wetlands on the border, according to the Polish government’s records. There was a pandemic on, after all. But over the following year, almost 40,000 migrants from Syria, Somalia, Iran, Afghanistan, India and other countries crossed or attempted to cross this frontier.

Those migrants didn’t end up in Belarus by accident. Some were carrying Russian visas or entry stamps. Russia and its ally — some would say lackey — Belarus were, in effect, importing migrants, delivering them to the Polish-Belarusian border and telling them to head west, into the European Union.

The number of migrants attempting to cross the Polish-Belarusian border declined in subsequent years, according to the Polish military officials who briefed us. So far this year, the figure is only in the hundreds.

What stopped the tide? Indisputably a large factor was Poland’s building of more than 120 miles of steel fencing, about 15 feet high, with large coils of barbed wire running along the top and halfway up on the Polish side and an additional layer of coils along the far side of a road running beside this stretch of the 260-mile border.

Poland is not alone. Finland has completed 115 miles of a fence on its southeastern border with Russia, with plans for 124 miles when finished. Estonia has completed 68 miles of a planned fence along its eastern border with Russia, with just a few miles left to be finished. Latvia has built about 174 miles along its border with Russia and 90 miles along its border with Belarus. Lithuania has built 328 miles of fencing on its border with Belarus.

[Cronos]

This new curtain is designed to keep third-world migrants out — as they have proved to be useful pawns for Vladimir Putin in his aims to destabilize the free countries unlucky enough to be his neighbors.

[Savage Beast]

Who knows? The Trump Revolution just might save Europe.

Periodically Europe succumbs to another mass suicidal psychosis.

The Trump Revolution is vastly better than sending America's sons--yet again!--to die on European soil--yet again!--to save Europe from its own stupidity!

[BroJoeK]

from the article: "Poland is not alone.

1. Finland has completed 115 miles of a fence on its southeastern border with Russia, with plans for 124 miles when finished.
2. Estonia has completed 68 miles of a planned fence along its eastern border with Russia, with just a few miles left to be finished.
3. Latvia has built about 174 miles along its border with Russia and 90 miles along its border with Belarus.
4. Lithuania has built 328 miles of fencing on its border with Belarus."

NATO units stationed in Baltic countries:

Like Ukraine, the Baltic countries have large Russian populations:

1. Latvia ~25% Russians

2. Estonia ~25% Russians

3. Ukraine ~17% Russians in 2001

4. Lithuania ~4–6% Russians

In Ukraine, Russians became politically active and an excuse for Russian aggression in 2014 and 2022.

This has not happened in Baltic countries, though not because Russia didn't try.
Rather it's because EU & NATO Baltic countries work harder to control their pro-Russian populations and prevent the kinds of political machinations that Ukraine suffered in the years before Russia's 2014 invasions.

Support from the EU and NATO is the critical difference.

Peace Through Strength.

NATO in Latvia:

[hal ogen]

Just maybe the euros brought all of their troubles upon themselves by dancing with liberalism and socialism. Who cares?

[Uncle Lonny]

Didn’t Trump say he was going to pull out 4,000 US troops from Poland?

At Putin’s request? Hope not.

Perhaps he will need them for his Invasion of Iran?

[Uncle Lonny]

Didn’t Trump say he was going to pull out 4,000 US troops from Poland?

At Putin’s request? Hope not.

Perhaps he will need them for his Invasion of Iran?

[FLT-bird]

Yet the EU fined Hungary $1 million per day for doing the exact same thing.

[Sirius Lee]

We need one of those on our southern border.

[Rockingham]

The armed troops are a nice touch. And the wall design look a lot like Trump’s wall.

[Dr. Franklin]

Considering how Russia invaded Crimea using troops without insignia crossing the border, all of Russia’s neighbors are on notice to keep their borders with Russia very secure. Swarms of immigrants can easily conceal foreign troops with ill intent.

[dfwgator]

Herr Tusk lets them in from Germany.

[Savage Beast]

You can say that again!

[BroJoeK]

hal ogen: "Just maybe the euros brought all of their troubles upon themselves by dancing with liberalism and socialism.
Who cares?"

Russian propagandists, making Putin's case since 1999
Simonyan (2005), Solovyov (1999), Skabeyeva (2012):

That's not what Mad Vlad Putin said in 2014 and 2022 when he invaded Ukraine.
He didn't mention European liberalism or socialism at all in 2014 or 2022.

In 2014, Putin was upset about the legitimate removal of his stooge-traitor Viktor Yanukovych, and in 2022 he was worried not about Europe, but NATO (the US) and Ukrainian "nazis".

None of it had to do with "liberalism" or "socialism" in Europe.

Yes, today Russian propaganda grasps onto whatever straws it thinks might hold some weight, and attacks whatever weak points it discerns in the Western Alliances.
And with Pres. Trumps's efforts to both make peace in Ukraine and shift US geostrategic focus to the Indo-Pacific, Russian propaganda aims more directly onto Europeans and whatever faults with them Russians think can help advance their cause.

[BroJoeK]

Uncle Lonny: "Didn’t Trump say he was going to pull out 4,000 US troops from Poland?
At Putin’s request? Hope not.
Perhaps he will need them for his Invasion of Iran?"

Rutte welcomes move
Speaking to reporters in Sweden on Friday,
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
said he welcomed the move, adding that
"military commanders are working through all the details."

Short answer: no.

Longer answer: the US is withdrawing roughly 10% of forces now stationed in Europe, about 5,000 troops, mostly from Germany.
Yes, those theoretically could be assigned to Iran operations.

At the same time, yesterday:

1. Pres. Trump announced the deployment of 5,000 troops to Poland.

2. US sending 5,000 troops to Poland as it draws down forces in Germany

3. The decision by US President Donald Trump to send an extra 5,000 troops to Poland appeared to take both Polish and US authorities by surprise.

4. May 22, 2026 -- US President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of an additional 5,000 American troops to Poland, according to a statement shared by the White House.

These are not the same troops now being withdrawn from Germany.
Nor are they the normal brigade the US has long rotated temporarily to Poland, then periodically replaced with new brigades.
But exactly what will happen is not yet known.