MOSCOW

Poland's foreign policy is aimed at confrontation with Russia and Belarus and both countries are monitoring the developments there, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference with his Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov in Moscow, Lavrov said Russia and Belarus will observe whether Poland's foreign policy undergoes any changes under the newly elected president, Karol Nawrocki.

"We constantly observe Poland's dedication not to constructive dialogue with our countries, but to confrontation. Let's see how this foreign policy will unfold under the new president," he added.

For his part, Ryzhenkov echoed Lavrov's sentiment, remarking that the Baltic states, including Poland, attack Moscow and Minsk simply because they have little else to offer to the international agenda.

"If we talk about the Baltic states, let's imagine we removed their aggressive rhetoric against Belarus and Russia. Would you notice them in the media at all? They would simply disappear from sight," he said.

The minister emphasized that Baltic countries lack significant achievements in economic development and do not pursue important peace-oriented initiatives.

"They have alienated themselves from all major foreign economic and political centers of influence -- Russia, China, and other countries. Can they boast about the situation in their own countries? Being close to Belarus, we clearly see the decay of infrastructure, demographic decline, and economic collapse. They have absolutely nothing to say about themselves," Ryzhenkov added.

Poland has supported Kyiv in Russia’s war on Ukraine since 2022, and advocated for sanctions against Moscow.