On April 15, 2025, a segment titled “The bow was not counted – Duda waited for Trump for an hour! | Votes are being bought in elections in Poland | Lazutkin” was released on the YouTube channel CTVBY.
Under the guise of expert analysis of elections in Poland, a complex of disinformation narratives is broadcast, aimed at delegitimizing Polish democracy, discrediting the EU, and inciting hostility towards Ukraine. The content fully corresponds to the characteristics of FIMI — Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference.
Our verdict based on subsequent analyses conducted:
Verdict: Incorrect
Reasons:
The thesis or statement is completely false: information from multiple sources or opinions of several experts in the specific field contradict it.
The stated cause-and-effect relationships and connections clearly do not exist as claimed.
When quoting, substantial parts are omitted, rearranged, altered, or incorrectly translated from a foreign language, resulting in a fundamental change in the meaning of what was said.
The event occurred in substantially different aspects than stated.
The video is presented as “entertaining political science,” but behind the ironic style lies aggressive propaganda, saturated with lies, xenophobia, and hate rhetoric. FIMI analysis of key elements 1. Delegitimization of democracy
“Now Poles are really choosing a puppet. Even if it’s the main one, it’s still a figure without authority.”
During this phrase, the frame shows Rafał Trzaskowski at a meeting with voters — a typical element of democracy in action. This visual contrast is used deliberately: to contrast the openness of the campaign with the idea of “puppets without power.”
Type of manipulation: Decontextualization + Imposter narrative Goal: to suggest that democracy in Poland is a spectacle where citizens are offered an “illusion of choice.”
2. Voter bribery and “rotten choice”
“The simplest thing is to buy votes. The money is not yours, but from the budget.”
The author claims that the Polish government allegedly bribes citizens with bonuses, while ignoring the context of the payments. This technique is systematically used in pro-Kremlin propaganda to discredit social measures in EU countries.
Type of manipulation: Distortion Goal: to create distrust in election institutions and the political system of Poland.
3. Homophobia as a political argument
“Since you are all supporters of the European Union, it means you are for gays or are gay yourselves.”
The goal is to humiliate and marginalize the LGBT agenda and liberal candidates, reducing political competition to a caricature struggle for “rainbow labels.”
Type of manipulation: Inflammatory / Homophobic discreditation Goal: to demonize “European values” as “abnormal” and alien.
4. Poland as a vassal of the USA and NATO
“Politicians serve Brussels and Washington”, “Poland buys HIMARS instead of generators.”
The thesis of external control is used to undermine trust in the independence of Polish politics. A popular narrative: Eastern European countries are not independent, but “NATO colonies.”
📌 Type of manipulation: Narrative construction 📌 Goal: to form an image of a dependent, puppet country that has lost its sovereignty.
5. Xenophobia and ethnophobia
“Ukrainians are aggressive freeloaders”, “Ukropoles”, “Banderastan”.
Throughout the segment, Ukrainians are described as the cause of all problems: from the grain market to street crime. Hate rhetoric is aimed at intensifying interethnic enmity.
Type of manipulation: Inflammatory / Xenophobic rhetoric Goal: to ignite anti-immigrant sentiments and set neighboring peoples against each other.
This video is part of a broader FIMI campaign aimed at:
discrediting Polish democracy as an alternative to the authoritarian model;
undermining support for Ukraine in EU countries;
strengthening anti-Western and isolationist sentiments in Belarus;
normalizing xenophobia, homophobia, and revisionism as elements of “normal political discourse.”
Another fragment — a vivid example of FIMI manipulation, combining visual substitution of meaning with overwhelming voice-over commentary aimed at discrediting the democratic process. What do we hear?
“It’s clear that within the Polish government there are fellow travelers, advisers, extras, there are gray cardinals, but now Poles are really choosing a puppet.”
This text not only doesn’t correspond to the visual imagery — it purposefully suppresses it, imposing on the viewer:
an image of political manipulation instead of choice;
a representation of politics as theater, where all roles are distributed in advance;
a derogatory attitude towards the candidate, called a “puppet”.
Fact-checking
The host says:
None of the candidates are saying that Poland today (4:52) has the most expensive electricity in the EU, and what to do about it? (4:55) Maybe it’s because the Poles nationalized (4:57) Gazprom’s assets during the SMO, the Polish section of Yamal (5:00) Europe, and now they will be without cheap gas in the foreseeable (5:03) future? (5:04) But instead of looking for the root of the problems, Poles (5:06) are massively preparing to buy generators and expect power outages (5:08) already this year. (5:10) The country lacks generation capacity, and according to calculations (5:13) by 2030, the deficit will be from 8 to 10 thousand megawatts. (5:18)
Price growth, (0:41) which amounted to a record 6.7% last month
This figure is taken out of context.
On April 15, 2025, the Polish Statistical Office confirmed the estimate of inflation in March at 4.9% year-on-year. Prices for goods increased by 4.4% year-on-year, and prices for services increased by 6.4% year-on-year compared to increases of 4.3% and 6.6% respectively in February.
Changes in consumer prices in March 2025, % year-on-year
The final data for March indicate that Polish inflation stopped growing in the first quarter of this year, and core inflation began to decline. The outlook for the rest of the year is improving, but US tariffs pose a threat to global growth and downside risks to prices in Europe.
Source: https://think.ing.com/snaps/inflation-poland-easing-rate-cuts-nbp/
For comparison:
In March 2025, inflation in Belarus reached 5.9% year-on-year (YoY) after 5.6% in February, reports the “Minsk-News” agency correspondent with reference to Belstat data.
Source: https://minsknews.by/v-marte-2025-goda-inflyacziya-v-belarusi-dostigla-59-god-k-godu/
Now let’s perform an analysis of disinformation narratives and semantic analysis:
Narrative Analysis
Risk level: MEDIUM
manipulation
The video contains distortion of facts about elections in Poland, where it is claimed that candidates from the government use budget funds to bribe voters, which can be interpreted as manipulation aimed at discrediting the ruling coalition.
selective quotation
substitution of concepts
Confidence: 65%
polarization
The author creates a division between ‘us’ and ‘them’, claiming that Poles choose candidates based on the ‘us vs. them’ principle, which intensifies social disagreements.
creating false dichotomies
Confidence: 60%
emotional exploitation
The use of emotionally charged language to describe the situation with Ukrainian migrants, which can evoke negative emotions and xenophobia among viewers.
emotionally charged vocabulary
Confidence: 55%
Overall assessment
The content contains notable distortions of facts and manipulations, which may lead to disinformation and polarization of public opinion.
div class=”analysis-container” style=”background: #f8f9fa; border-radius: 8px; padding: 25px; margin: 20px 0; border: 1px solid #e9ecef;”> Emotional Analysis
Main topics
political system
elections in Poland
social problems
influence of the US and EU
relations with Ukraine
Emotional Analysis
Predominant tone: negative
0
-0.5
Key emotions:
discontent
irony
disappointment
Updated
On April 12, 2025, Alexander Lukashenko, speaking against the backdrop of the approaching presidential elections in Poland, gave a detailed “opinion” in which he consistently:
discredited the Polish political system;
introduced terminology with elements of humiliation (“puppet,” “toy,” “walks along the corridor”);
shifted responsibility for strained relations onto Poland and the West;
indirectly admitted the possibility of election interference — while claiming “moral superiority.”
This statement fits into the canon of information interference without technical traces — FIMI speech directed at an external audience, especially Belarusian and Russian-speaking viewers in Poland and Lithuania. 1. Delegitimization of the Polish president
“And what about the president of Poland? Nothing. A puppet, a toy, just to walk along Washington’s corridor…”
Type of manipulation: Discrediting democratic leadership / Dehumanizing metaphor
Key construction: “puppet” — a common propaganda image used to describe “puppet” authority that lacks agency.
Goal: to make the audience feel that the electoral process is meaningless, since the winner will not be a politician but a spineless figure controlled from outside (USA).
Similar rhetoric has previously been used against the presidents of Ukraine, Moldova, and the leaders of the Baltic states.
2. Substitution of interference discourse
“Then they will accuse us of interfering in the elections… Although we have every right… We could seriously interfere”
Type of manipulation: Preemptive justification / Narrative reversal
Key technique: accusations against the West are turned into justification for possible actions by Belarus.
Contradiction: first, indifference and non-interference are stated, then — a full right to interfere is claimed and the possibility of influence is hinted at (“we could seriously interfere”).
This is a classic technique of “we’re not interfering, but we could — so be quiet,” creating an atmosphere of intimidation and demonstration of power.
3. Image of Poland as a vassal
“They quarreled with Europe… Momentary politics… First with the EU, then with the US…”
Type of manipulation: Narrative: loss of sovereignty / Controlled pawn
Narrative: Poland has no will of its own, “dangles” between Washington and Brussels, “looking for a ruble” → allegedly not a subject, but an object of manipulation.
This line repeats the standard pro-Kremlin narrative: “Eastern European countries are not states, but puppets of the West.”
4. Legitimation of own position through criticism of Poland
“We didn’t expel anyone… Belarusians are good… Poles are hardworking… But their government is humiliation”
Type of manipulation: Contrast framing
Technique: through positive assessment of “ordinary Poles” and the Belarusian position — strengthening the image of malicious Polish authorities.
Additional element: an attempt to legitimize repression against the opposition in Belarus by comparing it with the position of opposition voices in Poland.
Alexander Lukashenko’s speech is a full-fledged FIMI case in which:
A neighboring democratic country (Poland) is portrayed as a vassal of external forces that has lost its agency;
The legitimate electoral process is presented as a circus where a “puppet” is elected;
The possibility of interference is justified as a “natural response”;
Trust in the EU and transatlantic partnership is undermined through accusations of instability and corruptibility.
This is a classic method of information sabotage without direct interference in election technology — and these forms of influence are the most dangerous in terms of long-term erosion of trust in democracy.
Addition 2
On April 15, 2025, another segment about the presidential elections in Poland was posted on the YouTube channel NEWS.BY.
The US is running Poland! How will the presidential elections go and who will the puppeteers choose? That’s different
First, let’s analyze for signs of FIMI
FIMI structure of the segment
Component
Content in the segment
Actor
Belarus State TV, host Ksenia Lebedeva
Goal
Discrediting elections in Poland, presenting them as externally controlled
Presentation form
Appearance of “analysis” + invitation of an “opposition expert” from Poland
Manipulations
Conspiracy theories, false equivalents, devaluation of democratic institutions
Key disinformation narratives
1. “Elections in Poland are a fiction, democracy in quotation marks”
“Democracy in Poland is a covered table behind glass”, “The president is a toy, a puppet, walks along Washington’s corridor”.
Manipulation: delegitimization of elections and government institutions.
FIMI technique: Decontextualisation + Discrediting institutions + Use of metaphor.
2. “Poland has lost sovereignty”
“Candidate from the US or from Germany?”, “Trzaskowski is a man of the Bilderberg Club, of the deep government” “The prime minister is a German project, the president is an American one”.
Manipulation: introduction of a narrative about Poland being managed by “curators,” allegedly from the US, Germany, and the EU.
FIMI technique: Conspiracy + Imposter narrative.
3. “Military vassal of the US”
“The US forces Poland to spend billions on military equipment” “Poland is a bridgehead against Belarus and Russia”.
Manipulation: transforming defense policy into “betrayal of the people’s interests”.
Let’s perform an analysis of disinformation narratives and semantic analysis:
Narrative Analysis
Risk level: HIGH
manipulation
The video claims that elections in Poland are controlled by foreign powers, such as the US and Germany, without providing specific evidence. This creates a false impression that Polish democracy is not independent.
presenting opinions as facts
creating false dichotomies
Confidence: 65%
conspiracy
The Bilderberg Group and George Soros are mentioned as part of the ‘invisible government,’ which is a typical feature of conspiracy narratives.
appeal to conspiracy theories
Confidence: 60%
polarization
The content creates a division between ‘Poles’ and ‘external forces,’ which intensifies social disagreements.
artificial division
Confidence: 55%
Overall assessment
The content contains significant distortions of facts and manipulations aimed at creating distrust in Polish democracy and increasing polarization.
Emotional Analysis
Main topics
Polish sovereignty
electoral campaign
Polish politics
US and German influence on elections
presidential candidates
Emotional Analysis
Predominant tone: negative
0
-0.7
Key emotions:
discontent
anxiety
skepticism
Based on the analysis of two segments released with an interval of 22 minutes, we can confidently speak of a systemic information operation with the following characteristics:
1. Temporal coordination
Two episodes with a difference of 22 minutes.
The topics completely coincide (presidential elections in Poland).
Overlap of speakers and phrases (repetition of Lukashenko’s quote about the “puppet”).
2. Sequence of narratives
Key constructions are repeated in both materials:
“Presidential puppet”
“Invisible government”
“Sovereignty lost”
“Democracy is fake”
3. Use of pseudo-experts and external voices
In both videos — a “Polish politician” or “journalist” who confirms the key messages.
This creates the illusion of external confirmation (“we’re just giving others a voice”).
4. Targeted attack on one candidate (Trzaskowski)
Presented as an agent of the West, Soros, Bilderberg.
Meanwhile, the alternative candidate is idealized (“simple but honest”).
5. Repetition of Alexander Lukashenko’s quotes
In both materials — inserts with Lukashenko’s speech, presented as “superior analysis.”
Used to give authority to narratives.
These two segments are part of a coordinated information attack aimed at:
undermining the legitimacy of Polish elections,
discrediting pro-European politicians,
introducing a narrative about “external control” by the EU and US,
creating a sense of superiority over “fake” democracy among the Belarusian audience.
