Russia threatens Poland: "It will vanish in 2 days if it attacks"

Moscow raises the level of war rhetoric, openly threatening Poland and accusing Europe of bringing nuclear weapons closer to Russian borders. President Putin's advisor, Nikolai Patrushev, stated that "Poland will disappear in two or three days" if it were to attack Russia, responding to claims by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski about NATO's military superiority.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Europe of attempting to bring nuclear weapons closer to Russian borders under the pretext of an "alleged and mythical threat," a step that Moscow claims would make it easier for Russian military forces to strike important targets. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that Russia is ready to seek "reasonable compromises" for a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine but will not accept NATO moving closer to its borders.

Moscow has also urged staff from foreign embassies in Kyiv to leave Ukraine following Sunday's raid that struck a train near the Polish border. Russia maintains its warning "despite occasional requests through diplomatic channels to ensure safe passage for Western 'political tourists' to Ukraine," accusing President Zelensky of using "visiting foreigners as human shields."

The war between Russia and Ukraine, which began with the Russian invasion in February 2022, has created a lasting fracture in relations between Moscow and the West. The conflict has turned into a war of attrition with advances and retreats from both sides, while NATO has strengthened its presence on the Alliance's "eastern flank" to ensure the security of member states bordering Russia.

The current tension stems from increasingly aggressive mutual declarations. On one hand, Western leaders have affirmed their determination to support Ukraine and defend NATO countries. On the other, Moscow has intensified its nuclear rhetoric, presenting NATO expansion as an existential threat. The situation became further complicated after the Anchorage agreements of August 2025 between Putin and Trump, which, according to Lavrov, could have ended the war a year ago if the United States and Europe had not "abandoned them."

The specific threats against Poland reflect Russia's long-standing position against NATO expansion eastward, considered a violation of Russian national security interests. Poland, a NATO member since 1999 and a strong supporter of Ukraine, symbolically represents this expansion. Moscow's statements mark a further escalation in rhetoric within a context where the risk of the conflict spreading beyond Ukrainian borders remains a constant concern for the international community.