On September 21, 2023, news spread on social networks that the President of Poland, after his harsh statements against Kyiv, was included in the list of people posing a threat to the national security of Ukraine. We decided to check if this is true.
Messages about the inclusion of Andrzej Duda in the “Peacemaker” database appeared in many popular Telegram channels. The text was accompanied by a screenshot allegedly from the “Peacemaker” website, where the data of the Polish president was indicated, as well as the rationale for placing him on the “black list”: “Participation in acts of humanitarian aggression against Ukraine. An accomplice of the Russian invaders. Spread of Kremlin propaganda." The screenshot is cropped, so another item is only partially visible. This message was also distributed by Telegram channels “Uncle Slava"(194,000 views at the time of publication of this analysis), "Truthfulness" (169,000) and "Sheikh Tamir"(114,000). The TV presenter also wrote about this in her Telegram channel Olga Skabeeva.
Reports about the inclusion of Andrzej Duda in the “Peacemaker” database appeared against the backdrop of tensions in Polish-Ukrainian relations. Back in April 2023, Poland, as well as Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania introduced unilateral restrictions on the import of Ukrainian grain; in early May, the European Commission, following negotiations with interested parties, confirmed a temporary ban. 15 September Brussels canceled the effect of these measures, stating that Kyiv has committed itself to export controls. However, soon Poland, Hungary and Slovakia extended (and even expanded) the embargo.
On September 19, the Polish president devoted a significant part of his speech to this problem. briefing in front of journalists at the UN General Assembly. Duda compared helping Ukraine to saving a drowning man, who can kill along with himself the one who saves him. The President of Ukraine did not remain in debt: at the same General Assembly, Vladimir Zelensky said the following: “It is alarming to see how some in Europe are currently undermining solidarity and creating political theater by turning a thriller out of seed. They may seem to be playing their own role, but they are helping to set the stage for the Moscow actor.” Following this, the Polish Foreign Ministry called Ukrainian Ambassador in Warsaw and protested to him in connection with Zelensky’s statement.
Base "Peacemaker" is an unofficial list in which activists include a variety of people: from those who vacationed in annexed Crimea or traveled to occupied territories, to state propagandists and heads of state friendly to Russia. So, September 6th to the database contributed North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
However, a search on the “Peacemaker” website did not bring any results. There is no information in the database that Andrzej Duda was classified as a Kremlin collaborator.
Some authors of Russian Telegram channels immediately assumedthat the dossier on Andrzej Duda will be removed from the site. The viral screenshot shows the date of listing: 11:00 September 20, 2023. But at this time, the “Peacemaker” published the data of completely different persons involved, who are associated with the occupation administration of the Zaporozhye region. The Polish president is not there.
Similarly, there is no page with the corresponding URL in web archive.
The earliest publication with this photo that “Verified” was able to discover was a post in the Telegram channel “Bear"(8000 views), which appeared on September 21 at 07:22 Moscow time.
Thus, the information about the inclusion of Andrzej Duda in the “Peacemaker” database is a fake, widespread against the backdrop of a real diplomatic conflict between Ukraine and Poland.
Cover photo: Vladimir Zelensky and Andrzej Duda. Website of the President of Ukraine
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