Tusk warned that ‘crucial months’ await Poland in view of the threat from Russia

Poland’s prime minister said the country was preparing for different scenarios and the coming months could be “crucial” regarding the threat from Russia.

Donald Tusk has responded to media reports citing US intelligence that Moscow is planning an armed “outrage” in Poland to test NATO’s commitment.

“I don’t mean to scare anyone, but the coming months can be really critical, also because of the dynamics of the war. These threats are especially visible in the Baltic states,” Tusk told reporters on Friday.

According to Polish news outlet Onet, sources close to President Karol Nawrocki said the United States had repeatedly warned Warsaw about an attack on the country.

The White House and the US State Department did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.

Under the plans, also published in Britain’s Telegraph on Friday, Polish infrastructure could be attacked by missiles or drones, or troops sent into NATO territory.

The reports suggest that Ukraine’s Western allies are pressuring the country to end aid as it continues to resist a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.

Asked about the reports, Tusk said: “Don’t be afraid, we are preparing for different scenarios, but we cannot ignore them… We know the risks, thanks to information from our partners.”

Polish President Nawrocki is due to attend a NATO meeting in Turkey next week with the leaders of other defense alliance members.

Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the meeting showed Europeans are implementing US President Donald Trump’s long-standing call to increase defense spending, and leaders are expected to pledge arms support to Ukraine.

Tusk told the Financial Times in April that Russia could attack a NATO member state in “months”.

In late June, Deputy Prime Minister Radek Sikorsky told CBS News that he would not rule out a Russian “false flag” campaign to justify attacks on NATO territory over the next two years.

The Baltic states have previously acknowledged their concerns about their vulnerability to Russian aggression. Latvian media reported in June that the intelligence service had warned that Moscow was planning a military provocation in the region or in Poland.

Lithuania’s ambassador to NATO said on Thursday that Russia is more likely to resort to hybrid warfare – such as missile or drone strikes – rather than conventional military strikes, the country’s public service broadcaster LRT reported.

Article 5 of NATO states that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all, for which mutual defense is provided.