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Kremlin aide certain Poland will "snatch" Ukraine’s western regions if given half a chance

Vladimir Medinsky mentioned a historical precedent set by Poland’s similar actions

MOSCOW, May 18. /TASS/. Poland will not hesitate to seize lands in western Ukraine should such an opportunity offer itself, Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky said on Wednesday.

"Knowing history well, I do not doubt for a second that given half a chance, Poland will snatch western Ukrainian territories from its friend Ukraine," he said at the educational marathon conference New Horizons organized by the Russian Znanie (Knowledge) society.

"They [Ukraine] have such friends that they do not need any enemies," Medinsky added.

He mentioned a historical precedent set by Poland’s similar actions.

"Not so long ago, in 1938, when Czechoslovakia, another good friend of Poland, was being divided, instead of defending Czechoslovakia as its ally, Poland snatched the Teschen region. Even [former British Prime Minister Winston] Churchill was, simply put, flabbergasted by this and called Poland ‘the hyena of Europe’ then," he cited an example.