Donald Tusk: Europe Has Entered Pre-War Era

This hasn't happened since 1945.

Politicians and experts across Europe say Russia could attack NATO countries within a few years. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that pre-war times had arrived.

“The most worrying thing right now is that literally any scenario is possible. We have not experienced such a situation since 1945. I know this sounds devastating, especially for people of the younger generation, but we must mentally get used to the new era. We are in pre-war times. I'm not exaggerating. Every day this is becoming more and more obvious,” he said in an interview with El pais.

The politician added that when Russia attacks cities in western Ukraine, the sounds of explosions are also heard on the Polish section of the border. Tusk noted that he had an interesting discussion with Spanish President Pedro Sanchez at the European Council. He asked to stop using the word “war” in statements regarding Ukraine.

“He argued that people don't want to feel threatened in that way, which sounds abstract in Spain. I replied that in my part of Europe, war is no longer an abstraction and that our duty is not to argue, but to act and prepare for defense,” the Polish Prime Minister emphasized.

In his opinion, now the main task for Europe is to protect Ukraine and preserve it as an independent and integral state.

“It’s up to us to avoid pessimistic scenarios. Their situation today is much more difficult than a year ago, but also much better than at the beginning of the war, when Putin’s soldiers were on the outskirts of Kyiv. Perhaps the war in Ukraine is worth thinking about in the long term. This means that European countries will have more and more new responsibilities,” Tusk said.

He also calls on Europeans to spend more on defense. In particular, he recalled the need to allocate at least 2% of GDP to defense, in accordance with the fundamental principle of NATO.

“We must spend everything we can to purchase equipment and ammunition for Ukraine, because we are living at the most critical moment since the end of World War II. Everything will be decided in the next two years. If we cannot support Ukraine with sufficient equipment and ammunition, if Ukraine loses, no one in Europe will be able to feel safe,” he concluded.

Probability of war between Russia and NATO

Earlier, the German publication Bild published a scenario for German military exercises, during which the German armed forces are preparing for a hybrid attack by Russia on the eastern flank of NATO.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense commented on the situation. They said that there is no threat of a Russian attack on NATO yet because Moscow is focused on the war against Ukraine.

The new president of Finland recently said that he considers it unlikely that the Russian Federation will attack his country, now a NATO member.

However, Estonian intelligence has a different opinion. They believe that Russia is already preparing for war with NATO; this could happen within 10 years.