Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has issued a dire warning about the future of Europe after Russian forces continued their bombardment of Ukrainian targets.
In an interview with Spain's El País newspaper, Tusk called on Europeans to accept the reality that they are now living in a "pre-war" era as Russia appears to be gaining an upper hand in the conflict:
What is most worrying now is that literally any scenario is possible. We have not had a situation like this since 1945. I know it sounds devastating, especially to people of the younger generation, but we have to mentally get used to a new era. We are in a pre-war era. I don’t exaggerate. This is becoming more and more apparent every day.
When Lviv or other cities in western Ukraine are attacked, the sound of explosions can be heard in our part of the border area. At the last European Council I had an interesting discussion with the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. He asked us to stop using the word “war” in statements. He argued that people do not want to be threatened in this way, that in Spain it sounds abstract. I replied that in my part of Europe, war is no longer an abstraction — and that our duty is not to discuss, but to act and prepare to defend ourselves.
Tusk, a former EU leader who became Prime Minister last December after forming a post-election coalition against the conservative Law and Justice Party, argued that Europe must become much more self-sufficient with regard to its defense spending.
Unlike Joe Biden, Trump has repeatedly warned that the U.S. will not continue to foot the bill for Europe's defense, something that has caused concern among regional leaders. However, Tusk appears to be coming to terms with this reality:
... whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump wins the next election, it is Europe that needs to do more when it comes to defense. Not to achieve military autonomy vis-à-vis the U.S., or to create parallel structures to NATO — but to make better use of our potential, our capabilities and our strength. We will be a more attractive partner for the U.S. if we are more self-sufficient in defense matters.
There is no reason for Europeans not to respect the fundamental principle [of NATO] and spend a minimum of 2% of GDP on defense. We can discuss European arms bonds and more involvement of the European Investment Bank. We have to spend as much as we can to buy equipment and ammunition for Ukraine, because we are living in the most critical moment since the end of the Second World War. The next two years will decide everything. If we cannot support Ukraine with enough equipment and ammunition, if Ukraine loses, no one in Europe will be able to feel safe.
Musk's comments come less than a week after a Russian missile entered Polish airspace, prompting Warsaw to activate F-16 fighter jets in what he described as a “troubling incident.”
Poland shares a border with Ukraine of over 535 kilometers (about 332 miles) in length, placing it at the greatest risk of conflict should Putin expand his aggression westward.