At Warsaw Security Forum, Poland’s Tusk raises alarm over ‘real threat’ from Russia

WARSAW — The prime minister of Poland today used his keynote address at a security conference here to attempt to rally Europe to do more to combat what he said was the “real threat” from Russia.

“No one wants escalation or war. We all dream of peace,” Donald Tusk said to an audience of European political, military and defense industry figures. “The path to peace does not lie through weakness. The path to peace lies in stopping the aggressor with all available means and forces.”

Tusk said Russia would “not stop” with Ukraine and, given the chance, would seek to “reshape Poland’s security architecture” in a bid to “dismantle the security architecture in Europe so that Russian dominance returns to the state it was before 1989. We have no doubt about this.”

Tusk said a new NATO “theory of victory,” revealed in a separate speech today by Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Alexus Grynkewich left him “filled with optimism.”

In Grynkewich, he said, he “had a partner who also harbors no illusions, no miconceptions, regarding Russia’s intentions toward Ukraine, as well as toward Europe and the entire world.”

The prime minister said he was traveling to Brussels to call on Europe to increase pressure on Europe and toughen sanctions targeting Moscow.

“Ukraine will not be broken or intimidated. Poland will not be broken or intimidated. Europe, NATO, and the entire free world will not be broken or intimidated. That message must go out today from every capital—from Warsaw to Washington,” concluded Tusk.

Immediately following Tusk’s address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued his own virtual address to the audience, saying that Moscow had launched attacks on Ukrainian cities despite US President Donald Trump’s claim that both sides had agreed not to strike energy targets.

“If Russia wants us to stop our long-range strikes against its oil refineries and oil exports, then Russia must stop its strikes against our energy system and critical infrastructure and stop killing our people,” he said.

Zelenskyy also claimed that recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian data centers had diminished the amount of disinformation online — suggesting the centers had been used by Russian online provocateurs.

A day after Trump announced a controversial oil deal with Russia, Zelenskyy implored the US to not give “concessions” but instead put “real pressure” on Moscow.

To Poland, Zelenskyy said Warsaw and Kyiv were “natural allies.”

“And when we stand together, Russia has no chance,” he said. “We need to end Russia’s war. We need to guarantee security. We need to stand together, Europe and the United States.”