Poland's Donald Tusk warns of Russian threats as NATO readies eastern defenses

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev told EU citizens their "peaceful sleep" was over, prompting Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to label the remarks a Russian provocation and urge NATO to treat the threat seriously. A poll conducted in early June showed 31.6% of respondents feared a Russian attack on Poland, while 64.9% said they were not concerned.

NATO is reviewing its command structure for the Baltic region, considering handing coordination of Estonia and Latvia's defence to a German‑Dutch corps based in Münster, while the Szczecin headquarters continues to play a role. Russian intelligence has accused Latvia, and previously Estonia and Lithuania, of facilitating Ukrainian drone attacks, claims the Baltic states deny.

In parallel, Polish media report a wave of political controversy over Ukraine‑Poland relations, citing accusations that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky named a military unit after the UPA and suggesting a broader “new Volyn” project aimed at reshaping European security without US involvement. Polish officials such as Tusk and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski have been quoted in heated debates about historical memory, reparations and Germany’s role in European leadership.