Next year "will be an extremely dangerous moment". This was warned by the former head of Poland's National Security Bureau, Jacek Seviera, to TVP World.
He said that Russia could try to test NATO before Europe completes its military buildup.
Seviera, who is also the founder of the defense company Hybrid Global Strategy, indicated that his earlier warning of a possible confrontation with Russia within three years still stands.
He noted that Russia is closely monitoring Europe's efforts to expand defense equipment production, restructure security policy and strengthen deterrence. Moscow will not wait for these efforts to materialize, Seviera warned.
"As we see, Russia is aware of the changes taking place in Europe," he noted, adding that the Kremlin could be "stimulated to escalate" to test the Alliance.
Seviera made his remarks at a time when Poland is pushing for a stronger U.S. military presence on NATO's eastern flank.
Warsaw has expressed its readiness to accept more U.S. troops after President Donald Trump's administration announced plans to withdraw about 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, sending shockwaves across the continent.
Seviera said Poland would like to see the U.S. military presence in Europe focused more on NATO's eastern flank. He noted, for example, that Russia and Belarus have announced the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, and the West has yet to respond with a similar step.
Seviera had previously warned that the war in Ukraine had shown that "there are no safe places left in Europe," with civilian infrastructure, logistics and rear areas becoming central targets in modern conflict. Today, he reiterated that Russia's hybrid operations were not just a problem for Eastern Europe, but also for countries in the West.
Disruptions to aviation in Western Europe, cyberattacks, disinformation and potential nuclear threats could impose higher costs on capitals far from NATO's border with Russia, Seviera said.