Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has questioned whether the United States would be ‘loyal’ to its NATO Article 5 commitments in the event of a Russian attack, urging the EU to strengthen its defence capabilities.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Tusk said that Europe’s “biggest, most important question is if the United States is ready to be as loyal as it is described in our [NATO] treaties,” as he warned that Russia could attack an alliance member in “months”.
“For the whole eastern flank, my neighbours . . . the question is if NATO is still an organisation ready, politically and also logistically, to react, for example against Russia if they try to attack,” he said.
Tusk stressed that his words should not be treated “as scepticism towards Article 5 [NATO’s mutual defence pledge], if it is valid or not, but rather as my dreams that guarantees on paper will change into something very practical.”
“This is something really serious. I’m talking about short-term perspectives, rather months than years,” Tusk said in reference to a potential Russian attack. “For us, it’s really important to know that everyone will treat the NATO obligations as seriously as Poland,” he said.
“I had some problems during the night in September when we had this pretty massive drone provocation made by the Russians,” Tusk recalled. “It wasn’t easy for me to convince our partners in NATO that it wasn’t a random incident, it was a well-planned and prepared provocation against Poland.”
“For some of our colleagues, it was much easier to pretend that nothing happened,” he said. “This is why I want to be, you know, certain that if something happened, that . . . Russia knows the reaction will be tough and unequivocal.”
Tusk’s remarks come amid EU discussions about the bloc’s own mutual defence clause, Article 42.7 of the EU treaty.
The Polish leader said the discussions on Article 42.7 were about defining practical ways countries would support each other in the event of attack.
“What you need if you want to have, not only on paper, a real alliance, is true tools and real power when it comes to defence instruments and mobility of militaries from country to country etc. It’s a very practical problem for today,” he said.
“This is why my obsession now and my mission is to reintegrate Europe,” Tusk added. “It means common defence . . . a common effort to protect our eastern borders.”
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