A video has been circulated on Chinese social networks in which Polish President Andrzej Duda allegedly announces the mobilization and deployment of troops to Ukraine, but the country’s Ministry of Defense denied such information and called it fake.
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The 32-second video in question went viral on Sina Weibo, a popular microblogging service in China, and on Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok, in early May.
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The video shows the Polish leader making a speech, while Chinese subtitles say he is announcing the readiness of the country’s troops to enter western Ukraine and organize volunteers to join the resistance.
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“This will allow us to repel any danger or potential threat,” commented in the credits.
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In fact, the recording is taken from the live broadcast of the Polish news agency Onet News of the celebration of the Constitution Day on May 3, 2022. In a common fragment, Duda does not mention mobilization and speaks of the brotherhood of the peoples of Poland and Ukraine and the possible “lack of borders” between them.
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“We will live together on this earth, rebuilding and restoring our common happiness and strength — that which will enable us to face any danger and that will repel any attack or threat in the future,” is quoted from a transcript on the president’s website.
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In turn, a representative of the Ministry of National Defense of Poland called the video an absurd fake news.
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“We interpret sensational reports (…) as obvious propaganda actions aimed at achieving the effect of disinformation in the international media space, as well as earlier absurdities about the division of Ukraine with our participation,” he concluded.
