WARSAW, Poland — On Wednesday, the leader of a special commission tasked with investigating the influences of Russia and Belarus on Poland announced plans to refer a former defense minister to prosecutors, citing decisions that are believed to have compromised Poland’s defense capabilities before Russia initiated its war on Ukraine in 2022.

This commission, established in May under the pro-European Union administration of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, focuses on examining instances of Russian and Belarusian influence in Polish politics dating back to 2004. Tusk and other government officials contend that Poland, a significant supporter of Ukraine, is experiencing an uptick in hybrid warfare tactics from Russia and Belarus, which includes sabotage attempts, cyberattacks, and increasing pressure from migrants at the Poland-Belarus border.

Under the previous governance of the conservative Law and Justice party, Poland’s relationships with the European Union soured, primarily over controversial alterations to national policies regarding the judiciary and rule-of-law standards. General Jaroslaw Stró?yk, who leads the commission and also heads the Military Counterintelligence Service, shared initial public findings, indicating that several decisions made by the previous government may have detracted from Poland’s national interests.

Stró?yk pointed out that Antoni Macierewicz, who served as defense minister from 2015 to 2018, scrapped plans to acquire tanker aircraft for Poland’s F-16 fighter jets without conducting any thorough analysis or seeking advice, which subsequently decreased their overall operational time and defense capabilities. The commission characterized this decision as stemming from Macierewicz’s “personal aversion to partners in the EU,” labeling it “diplomatic treason.” Stró?yk confirmed that the commission intends to forward this information to prosecutors, who will determine potential next steps.

Additionally, the commission criticized Macierewicz for undermining the effectiveness of Poland’s special services and intelligence community by shutting down ten of their fifteen regional offices in 2017. Stró?yk further noted that the commission did not identify any instances of the former government engaging in discussions or making defense-oriented decisions following warnings from the United States about an impending Russian assault on Ukraine.

In response to the report, Macierewicz dismissed the findings as “absurd,” rejecting the commission’s conclusions and implications regarding his actions during his tenure as defense minister.