Marian Zubrzycki/PAP

Poland must be on its guard because Russia and Belarus will be observing the its election campaign and will want to put a negative spin on the country’s sense of security, a presidential advisor has warned.

Marcin Przydacz, who heads the Polish president’s International Policy Bureau, was interviewed by Radio Zet on Tuesday.

He told the broadcaster that Ukrinform, the national news agency of Ukraine, reported that Andriy Yusov, a Ukrainian military intelligence representative, had said on Monday that Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group staying in Belarus could be used to carry out provocations on the borders with Poland and the Baltic States.

In the opinion of Przydacz “this threat on the territory of Belarus and to neighbouring countries does exist and is confirmed by the statement of the American embassy which calls on its citizens to leave the territory of Belarus as well as by the decisions of individual countries, such as Latvia and Lithuania, which closed border crossings with Belarus.”

He pointed out that “Poland has basically already closed the border crossings with Belarus,” but as he added “we must be careful.”

In his opinion, “we have to be wary, especially in the context of the election campaign.”

“In every democracy, this is a vulnerable point when emotions rise,” he added. “Certainly, Russia and Belarus are observing this and will want to negatively affect our sense of security.”

Poland will hold parliamentary elections on October 15.