Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Russia could launch an attack on a NATO country in the near term.
He made the statement in an interview with the Financial Times.
According to Tusk, the potential timeline is a matter of months, not years.
He stressed that the main challenge for NATO’s eastern flank is ensuring both political and logistical readiness to respond to possible Russian aggression.
“This is very serious. I’m talking about the short term – months rather than years,” Tusk said, referring to the potential threat.
The politician also expressed concern about the United States’ ability to fulfill its commitments to defend Europe in the event of such an attack.
“For us, it is very important to know that everyone will treat NATO obligations as seriously as Poland does,” he added.
The Prime Minister clarified that his remarks should not be seen as skepticism toward Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, but rather as an effort to turn formal security guarantees into real response mechanisms.
As an example of potential risks, Donald Tusk cited an incident involving Russian drones that violated Polish airspace in September of last year. He noted that it was not easy to convince NATO partners that this was a planned provocation rather than an accident.
This statement came as European countries began working on a plan to ensure the continent’s defense capability without the direct involvement of the United States.
The initiative envisions using the Alliance’s existing military structures while simultaneously strengthening the role of European states within the command system.
In addition, the day before, the President of Cyprus stated that the EU must approve a clear action plan in the event of an attack on one of the bloc’s countries.
