Polish PM warns NATO allies Putin plotting hybrid strikes on Ukraines European neighbors

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk issued a chilling warning to NATO allies Thursday: Russian President Vladimir Putin is plotting a hybrid attack on European nations backing Ukraine — with Poland and other close neighbors directly in the crosshairs.Tusk warned the impending attacks will be staged as “hybrid” or fake “accidents” designed to paralyze Western response and shatter NATO’s resolve.“There is a real risk that drones or other types of projectiles will enter the territory of one or several countries on the eastern flank and even cause destruction,” he said in a speech to the Polish parliament.“The official narrative will be that it’s an accident and there is no reason for NATO to think about a response,” he added.Under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, an armed attack against one member state is considered an attack against all — the core principle meant to deter aggression against alliance members.The “accident” narrative is meant to circumvent that promise among NATO members.

Tusk raised the alarm over Russia’s deadly new tactics, pointing out their reliance on high-speed, jet-powered drones that fly higher and faster — making them nearly impossible for air defenses to intercept before impact.He has been warning for months that Russia might be preparing a more serious hybrid attack against a NATO member state.The Polish leader’s dire predictions have grown increasingly precise as high-level intelligence pours in from NATO, Kyiv and the CIA.Moscow’s war machine is currently focused on strangling critical supply lines between Ukraine and its allies, unleashing strikes near the Polish and Moldovan borders.Tusk emphasized that Russia has zero interest in peace talks without the “total capitulation of Ukraine.”“They are convinced the winter will be tragically critical for Ukraine,” Tusk said. While Poland has rushed to bolster Ukraine’s battered power grid, Tusk cautioned that crippling key border hubs would ...