Poland says Russia unlikely to risk military conflict with NATO

BRUSSELS

Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Russia is unlikely to risk a military conflict with NATO, claiming that Moscow has severely “drained” its military capacity in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In an interview with Czech weekly Respekt, cited by TVP World on Monday, Sikorski said that Russia has suffered up to a million casualties in Ukraine, leaving its armed forces depleted and unable to engage in additional conflicts.

He added that Moscow would need several years to rebuild its military, giving European countries time to bolster their defenses, though he warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could still commit a "cardinal error."

Addressing broader transatlantic relations, Sikorski commented on the US national security strategy released under President Donald Trump, which raised concerns in Europe over its perceived tough stance toward the EU.

He pointed out that European defense spending doubled during Trump's tenure and affirmed that the US "would not abandon" Europe despite shifting resources to other global priorities.

"Europe will need to take on more of its own security burden," he said.

Sikorski dismissed speculation that the US strategy encourages some countries, including Poland, to leave the EU, describing a Polish exit from the bloc as "catastrophic" and reiterated Warsaw's goal to remain both "a reliable Washington ally and an influential EU member."

He also questioned the rationale of national leaders like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who argue they rely on cheap Russian energy. According to Sikorski, both countries could meet energy needs from southern Europe at comparable long-term contract prices.