A Polish presidential adviser has dismissed the Russian Liberal Democratic Party's proposal that Warsaw take over parts of Ukraine as the product of a "sick mind" that should be forwarded to a psychiatrist, news reports said.
The Polish Foreign Ministry has also denounced the message as "ridiculous," the Warsaw Business Journal reported on Tuesday.
"We're not taking such proposals seriously," ministry spokesman Marcin Wojciechowski said.
The ministry said it would issue a "courtesy reply," confirming the receipt of the missive but declining to comment on its content.
Polish presidential adviser Tomasz Nalecz said "only a sick mind" could think of a proposal like the one expressed in the LDPR's letter, Poland's Gazeta.pl reported.
"It's an outrage that someone can propose such actions to Poland," Nalecz said, the Warsaw Business Journal reported. "We, as a country, were often hurt by someone else changing our borders in the past, so asking us to participate in partitioning a country that we have friendly relations with is offensive."
He added that the letter should be forwarded to a psychiatrist for evaluation.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky's Liberal Democratic Party said on Monday that it had sent a letter to the leaders of Poland, Romania and Hungary, suggesting that they hold referendums on whether to take over parts of western Ukraine that had once belonged to their respective countries.
Zhirinovsky is known for his trademark flamboyant and provocative comments. The veteran lawmaker also appeared as a singer in New Year's Eve television entertainment programs, told his fellow party members to have sex no more than four times a year, and called for removing the supposedly "repulsive" letter "?«" from the Russian alphabet.
Related Stories:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.