Propaganda Activities Targeting the Perception of States, Including Poland

This material is one of ten analytical briefs accompanying the full report on the security of Lebanon’s information environment. It forms part of a broader series examining key trends and incidents shaping the informational landscape. We encourage you to read the full report:
https://shafafiyat.com/ar/2025/09/17/%d8%aa%d9%82%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d8%a3%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%a6%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%88%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%86%d8%a7%d9%86/

The image of Poland in the Middle East, including Lebanon, has increasingly become the target of propaganda activities carried out by states interested in weakening its international position. Poland, as an active member of NATO and a clear opponent of Russian aggression against Ukraine, has become the subject of narratives aimed at distorting its intentions and actions. In information campaigns, particularly those conducted by Russia, Iran, and their affiliated entities, disinformation, manipulation of facts, and anti-Western themes are used to portray Poland as a country subservient to the interests of the United States and the European Union, rather than as a sovereign actor supporting regional security.

Propaganda from Russia

Poland is a leader in opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Presenting Poland in a negative light by Russian propaganda is not new and is also used in communication directed toward Middle Eastern countries.

Russian media such as RT and Sputnik adopt narratives that depict Poland as a country that has become a puppet in the hands of the West, particularly the United States and the European Union. Russia promotes in Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries the narrative that Poland is one of the countries contributing to the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine through its close ties with NATO and the United States

Looking closely at the Sputnik portal, one can find evidence supporting this statement: “Germany’s proposal for NATO to send Patriot units to Poland at the beginning of 2025 in order to protect a logistical hub in Poland, ensuring the safety of vehicles, weapons, and ammunition supplied to Ukraine. Russia believes that arms deliveries to Ukraine hinder the resolution of the situation in that country. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict. The Kremlin warned that the West is only escalating the conflict by supplying weapons to Ukraine”.

A Russian fake news story concerned protesting farmers at the border, allegedly related to the import of Ukrainian grain, which they claimed negatively affected the domestic agricultural market. Polish farmers announced that they would resume action if their demands for market protection were not met. They demanded an end to duty-free imports of Ukrainian agricultural products and the rejection of the European Green Deal, whose goal is zero emissions by 2050.

The truth: Farmers protested because their demand to maintain the 2024 agricultural tax rate at the 2023 level was not met. The second reason was linked to the European Union’s trade agreement with the Mercosur countries of South America. Therefore, it was a blockade near the Ukrainian border, but it actually had nothing to do with Ukraine itself.

Propaganda supported by Iran

Iran and its affiliated organization Hezbollah have an interest in portraying Poland as part of the Western coalition opposing their regional interests. Iran and Hezbollah may use propaganda to depict Poland as a country supporting policies unfavourable to their allies in the region.

Examples of propaganda actions include: 1) Poland as a tool of the West in implementing its policy in the Middle East, especially in the context of the war in Syria or relations with the United States; 2) Poland’s policy toward the Middle East and its relations with the United States may be presented as contrary to Islamic interests, which may strengthen in Lebanon the narrative of Poland as an ally of states supporting actions against Iran.

Media in Lebanon, both pro-government and opposition-affiliated, can shape the image of Poland in the context of its foreign policy and role in international affairs. Depending on the political preferences of various groups, Poland can be portrayed in different ways

1. Poland as a democratic and stable country

In numerous Lebanese media outlets, Poland may be presented as an example of a country that successfully underwent democratic transformation after the fall of communism. In the context of political uncertainty in Lebanon, such an image of Poland may be perceived positively as a country that achieved political and economic stabilization.

2. Poland as an ally of the West

Conversely, media closer to pro-Russian narratives, more critical of the West, may portray Poland as part of the “imperialist” international policy that threatens the sovereignty of Middle Eastern countries

Hezbollah

The main medium of Hezbollah’s narrative in Lebanon is its news channel Al-Manar. The topic of Poland appears in Al-Manar’s coverage of the situation in Ukraine and Belarus. The channel clearly reflects views sympathetic to Russia’s portrayal of the situation in Ukraine.

Fake news concerning the statement of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki

Content: Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his speech at the UN General Assembly and warned Ukraine against strengthening ties with Berlin. Morawiecki stated that Warsaw “no longer provides weapons to Ukraine”.

Fact: Mateusz Morawiecki did criticize the Ukrainian President’s words, but there were no threats in the form of warnings against ties with Germany or statements about stopping the supply of weapons to Ukraine. This fake news was exaggerated to show rising tensions between Poland and Ukraine.

News items such as “Warsaw and Kyiv want to provoke Russia into war with NATO by accusing Russia of an explosion” and “Poland is conducting military exercises and intends to occupy western Ukraine in order to annex its territory to Poland” also appear.

Diplomatic policy and the activities of the Polish Embassy

Poland’s diplomatic efforts, conducted through the Polish Embassy in Beirut, aim to promote the image of Poland in Lebanon. As part of its diplomatic activities, Poland may engage in various initiatives designed to present itself as a country committed to solving international problems, including humanitarian aid and the promotion of peace

Attribution/Involvement of selected countries

International engagement in Lebanon is complex and stems from the geopolitical interests of various states and international organizations. Lebanon, as a country with a multi-ethnic structure and complex internal politics, is a site of competition for influence among different regional and international actors. The attribution and involvement of countries in Lebanon can be divided into several categories, taking into account political, military, economic, and cultural interests

Iran

Iran, through Hezbollah, has enormous influence on Lebanon’s politics, especially in the context of political and security issues.

Support for Hezbollah: Iran provides Hezbollah with military, financial, and training support, which gives this organization enormous influence on Lebanese politics, especially regarding security issues.

Ideological sphere: Iran promotes its ideas of the Islamic Revolution in Lebanon, which is particularly visible among Shia communities

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, as the main actor in the Persian Gulf region, has traditionally had strong ties with Lebanon’s Sunni community and political groups that support closer relations with the West.

Financial and political support: Saudi Arabia provides Lebanon with financial aid, especially for Sunni political parties. It also supports actions for political stability in the country, which is linked to its regional interests.

Countering Iran’s influence: Saudi Arabia seeks to counter Iran’s influence in Lebanon, particularly regarding Hezbollah’s role

Israel
Israel has a long-standing conflict with Lebanon, especially over disputed border areas
Security and defence strategy: Israel monitors developments in Lebanon, especially regarding threats from Hezbollah. The conflict with Hezbollah remains one of the main factors affecting Lebanon’s situation.

Military and intelligence capabilities: Israel uses its intelligence services and armed forces to monitor and counter Hezbollah’s influence and other threats from Lebanon

Turkey

Although less directly involved in Lebanon than Syria or Iran, Turkey nonetheless has interests in the region, especially regarding influence over Sunni political groups and migration issues (due to the large number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon).

Engagement with Sunni affairs: Turkey supports some Sunni groups in Lebanon, and its policy in the Middle East, especially concerning Syria, may affect the situation in Lebanon.

Humanitarian aid: Turkey is also involved in humanitarian assistance, especially in the context of the Syrian refugee crisis

United States

The United States plays a key role in Lebanese politics, particularly through financial and military support for the Lebanese Armed Forces, aimed at countering the influence of Hezbollah and Iran.

Support for the Lebanese army: The United States provides military, training, and financial assistance to Lebanon to help build a professional army capable of addressing threats, including Hezbollah’s activities

Campaign against Hezbollah: The United States leads an international campaign to isolate Hezbollah and block its financing, both in Lebanon and abroad

France

France, as Lebanon’s former colonial power, has long-standing relations with the country. France is involved in Lebanon’s politics, promoting stability and independence.

Diplomatic engagement: France regularly mediates between rival political groups in Lebanon. It works to ensure political balance among different religions and ethnic groups.
Humanitarian support: France is involved in humanitarian aid and civil development in Lebanon, as well as in projects related to reconstruction after crises and disasters

United Nations (UN)

The UN plays an important role in maintaining peace and stability in Lebanon, particularly through the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission established after the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.
UNIFIL monitors the situation on the Lebanon-Israel border and helps maintain peace in the region, despite difficulties linked to Hezbollah’s presence. The UN is also involved in humanitarian aid in Lebanon, particularly regarding Syrian refugees and economic crises.

Summary

In Lebanon’s information space, both positive and negative images of Poland appear, depending on media affiliations and external influences. On the one hand, Poland is seen as a stable and democratic state that has undergone a successful transformation and contributes significantly to international security. On the other hand, narratives promoted by Russia and Iran, especially through channels such as Sputnik, Al-Manar, and other dependent media, portray Poland as a tool of the West engaged in regional destabilization and even provoking conflict with Russia. Disinformation is often based on distorted statements, the context of the war in Ukraine, and false reports about Poland’s military actions.

In response to these challenges, public diplomacy and the strategic actions of the Polish Embassy in Beirut play a key role in building a positive image of Poland. Poland’s involvement in humanitarian, educational, and intercultural dialogue initiatives in the region is an important element in countering negative narratives. In the longer term, effective counteraction to disinformation, however, requires a coordinated information policy and cooperation with local media and analytical institutions to strengthen trust and promote facts over propaganda.