Poland is preparing for a possible armed conflict with Russia, although it hopes that there will be no war. Poland's Deputy Minister of National Defense, Cezary Tomczyk, said that a large-scale provocation by the Kremlin could happen in the coming months.
Cezary Tomczyk said this in an interview published on August 17. According to him, Warsaw can no longer view potential scenarios only as "real" or "unreal", but evaluates them according to the degree of probability.
"We are preparing for war, hoping that it will never come", Tomczyk pointed out.
The Polish Embassy in Washington clarified that the country's accelerated preparations do not mean expecting an inevitable war. Their goal is to deter possible Russian aggression.
Poland spends almost 5% of its GDP on defense and continues to strengthen its armed forces. Warsaw emphasizes that since the start of the war in Ukraine, strengthening defense capabilities has become a key element of national security, writes Fox News, quoted by Focus.
In addition, Poland is preparing for possible attacks on critical infrastructure and energy facilities.
NATO fears tests of the Alliance's unity
Former commander of US forces in Europe and Supreme Allied Commander of NATO forces Philip Breedlove said that Russia may try to organize a provocation that would create uncertainty about the Alliance's reaction.
According to him, Moscow may try to check whether individual NATO countries are ready to respond to a threat and thus try to increase disagreements between the allies.
Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty allows allies to request consultations if their security or territorial integrity is threatened. Article 5 provides for the principle of collective defense in the event of armed attack.