If anyone were to make a miscalculation, thinking that they would be able to attack Poland without consequences or attack any other ally, our Alliance would respond forcefully.” Mark Rutte warned.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned on Wednesday that its response to an attack on Poland or other members of the alliance by Russia would be ‘devastating.’
Rutte gave the warning in a one-day visit to Warsaw as he also appealed for unity among European nations to scale up their armed forces and defence industries as the United States urges Europe to take care of its own security in the future.
“If anyone were to make a miscalculation, thinking that they would be able to attack Poland without consequences or attack any other ally, our Alliance will respond forcefully.
Our response will be devastating,” Rutte said, standing alongside Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk at a press briefing.
“This must be clear to Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and to anyone who would want to attack us,” Rutte added.
The NATO chief’s warning also comes as trust between the 32-member alliance dips to a new low following the Trump administration’s placing of America’s security priorities in Asia and on its own borders.
“Let me be absolutely clear, this is not the time to go it alone. Not for Europe or North America,” Rutte said in a speech in Warsaw. “The global security challenges are too great for any of us to face on our own.”
He praised Poland as a reliable ally that makes significant contributions to the joint budget.
For his part, the Polish prime minister thanked the NATO chief for his support of Shield East, a project planned between 2024 and 2028 to strengthen Poland’s resilience to potential attacks and a hybrid war.
The project was developed at the Polish Ministry of National Defence in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine and the growing threat from Russia.
“We take full responsibility as Poland for the security of Poland’s eastern border but also of our European and NATO partners. For me, it is also very important to have a high assessment from the Nato secretary general of this project,” Tusk said
“We have such and not a different geography; we have such and not a different history; we have a determination like no other NATO country today when it comes to investing in our defense,” the head of the Polish government added.
Warsaw currently spends more than four percent of its GDP on defence, and plans for 2025 include spending up to five percent.
Video editor • Jerry Fisayo-Bambi
