Europe’s ability to defend itself without the United States is an open and deeply divisive question as Washington reassesses its global military posture and Russia continues its war in Ukraine. That question was put to Lt. Gen. Piotr Błazeusz, strategic adviser to the chief of the Polish General Staff, in an interview on TVP World’s On the Record program. Drawing on decades of military planning experience, Błazeusz argued that the real issue is not capability, but political will. “We should first ask whether Europe is willing to defend itself, and whether our political leaders believe in victory,” he said. Pointing to Ukraine, the general recalled that many Western assessments initially gave Kyiv “a week or two” to withstand Russia’s full-scale invasion. “That was a miscalculation,” he said, noting that the war has now outlasted what Russia calls its “Great Patriotic War” against Nazi Germany. Błazeusz said Poland plans for all contingencies, including scenarios in which U.S. support is reduced, but stressed that he has “no doubts” that Washington would ultimately stand by Europe. Poland, he argued, is already acting as a security provider, with around 10,000 soldiers engaged daily in border protection, infrastructure defense and international missions. On Russia’s hybrid tactics—cyberattacks, sabotage and drone incursions—Błazeusz warned that Moscow is constantly testing NATO’s response thresholds. “We should stop worrying about [Western] escalation,” he said. “Russia is the one escalating.” Asked about fears of a future Russian attack on NATO’s eastern flank, including the Baltics, the general said such a move would not come without warning. “A full-scale invasion doesn’t happen overnight,” he said, adding that deterrence depends on vigilance, mobility and political resolve.
