Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in an interview that Europe is entering a ‘pre-war’ era and that the European Union (EU) urgently needs to step up its defence investment. Tusk in an interview given to a group of European newspapers said, “I don’t want to scare anyone, but war is no longer a concept from the past. It’s real and it started over two years ago.”
“The most worrying thing at the moment is that literally any scenario is possible. We haven’t seen a situation like this since 1945,” he added. “I know it sounds devastating, especially for the younger generation, but we have to get used to the fact that a new era has begun: the pre-war era. I’m not exaggerating; it’s becoming clearer every day,” the PM added.
Poland on high alert
Tusk’s comments came a day after the Russian forces launched a major attack on Ukraine, during which a Russian missile briefly violated Polish airspace. The incident prompted Warsaw to put its forces on high alert.
Ukraine said Russia’s military offensive was “large scale” and targeted energy infrastructure.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago, EU nations have grown concerned about the possibility of the war spilling into NATO countries, a scenario dismissed by the Kremlin.
However, the fears have prompted the triumvirate of France, Germany and Poland – the so-called “Weimar Triangle”, to ramp up their military readiness and defence expenditure.
Tusk and Ukraine
The Polish PM is an ardent supporter of Ukraine and has been using his social media platforms to rally support for the war-torn nation.
“True solidarity with Ukraine? Less words, more ammunition,” he wrote on social media earlier this month.
Watch: Poland: Far-right MP extinguishes Hanukah candles in parliament
In another post, he wrote, “How many more arguments do you need to take a decision”, while addressing Mike Johnson, the speaker of the US House of Representatives.
He has said that the EU’s military independence and self-sufficiency would make Europe a preferred partner for Washington DC, irrespective of who leads the nation following the impending November elections.
Tusk, who was prime minister between 2007 and 2014 and returned to office in December, is a veteran politician who has previously served as president of the European Council and leader of the centre-right European People’s Party.
(With inputs from agencies)
