Tusk responded to media reports citing US intelligence that claimed Moscow is planning an armed provocation in Poland to test NATO’s resolve. “I do not intend to scare anyone, but the coming months could indeed be truly critical, particularly due to the changing nature of the war. These concerns are especially palpable in the Baltic states,” Tusk told journalists on Friday.
The Polish publication Onet reported that sources close to President Karol Nawrocki indicated there have been several warnings from the US to Warsaw regarding a possible plan to attack the country. The White House and the US State Department did not respond to BBC requests for comment. According to the alleged plans, which were also reported by the British newspaper The Telegraph on Friday, Polish infrastructure could become a target for missile strikes or drone attacks, and military personnel could be deployed to Polish territory. These actions aim to pressure Ukraine’s western allies to suspend aid to the country, which continues to resist Russia’s full-scale invasion launched in 2022.
When asked about these reports, Tusk said: “Let us not be afraid, we are preparing for various situations, but we cannot ignore them… We are aware of the threats, particularly thanks to information from our allies.”
Upcoming NATO summit and prior warnings
Polish President Karol Nawrocki is set to participate in the NATO summit alongside leaders of other Alliance member states in Turkey next week. Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that this meeting will demonstrate that Europeans are responding to the long-standing calls from US President Donald Trump to increase their defense spending. Leaders are also expected to commit to continuing the funding of arms supplies to Ukraine.
Donald Tusk told the Financial Times in April that Russia could attack a NATO member state “within months.” At the end of June, his deputy prime minister, Radek Sikorski, told CBS News that he did not rule out a Russian “false flag” operation — a staged provocation — within the next two years to justify an attack on a NATO state.
Baltic states’ concerns and hybrid warfare
The Baltic states have previously expressed concerns about their vulnerability to a Russian attack. Latvian media reported in June that their intelligence services had warned of Moscow’s plans for military provocations in the region or in Poland. Lithuania’s ambassador to NATO said on Thursday that Russia is likely to resort to hybrid warfare, including missile strikes or drone incursions, rather than a conventional military attack, according to Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.
Article 5 of NATO stipulates that an armed attack on one member of the Alliance is considered an attack on all its members, who are obliged to provide mutual assistance.
Source: BBC World
