Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression was a patriotic duty, warning that anyone seeking to weaken Kyiv was acting “against its own nation, sovereignty, and security.” Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday, Tusk said helping Ukraine defend itself was essential to safeguarding the security and sovereignty of European countries. “Everybody who, for whatever reason — treason, stupidity, money — wants to weaken Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia is acting clearly against its own nation, sovereignty and security,” Tusk said. “Every patriot in Poland, in Europe, should today think how to effectively help Ukraine defend itself,” he added. Tusk's remarks come amid growing support for far-right and populist parties in parts of Europe, some of which oppose military assistance to Ukraine and advocate closer relations with Moscow. In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has made significant electoral gains while calling for an end to military support for Kyiv and the restoration of ties with Russia. Tusk warned that Russia's ambitions extended beyond Ukraine, suggesting that Moscow would not abandon its wider plans even if it succeeded in subjugating its neighbor. “Russia wants to dominate Ukraine, and we know that it won't stop in its plans,” he said. The Polish prime minister also urged Europe and the United States to strengthen their deterrence policy against Moscow, particularly through tougher sanctions. ‘Security no longer an abstract subject’ Tusk said Russia's invasion of Ukraine had fundamentally changed how Europeans viewed security, turning what was once a subject of academic debate into an immediate concern. “For the people of Poland, but I also believe for the entire Europe and the entire Western world, security is no longer an abstract subject of scientific debate,” he said. Poland, which borders Ukraine, Belarus and Russia's heavily militarized Kaliningrad exclave, has faced growing security threats linked to Moscow, including suspected acts of sabotage, Russian drone incursions and a Russian missile incursion into Polish airspace. Last month, Tusk also warned, citing intelligence assessments, that Russia could carry out “hybrid drone and missile strikes” against NATO countries supporting Ukraine while portraying them as accidental. Tusk said on Monday that Poland and its Western allies would not be intimidated by Russian aggression. “Poland will not be broken and will not yield to fear. Europe, the entire free world, will not be broken and will not yield to fear,” he said.
