We cannot feed ourselves illusions: Tusk said that the era of peace has ended and Europe is living in pre-war times

The Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, stated that the time of peace in Europe has ended, and now everyone is living in pre-war times, while some friends of the EU are facing full-scale aggression. He urged European leaders to believe in their own strength. According to him, decisive steps need to be taken in the defense segment of the EU.

To realize the new reality, "in which a massive war is possible again, and to think and act accordingly to these new realities," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on political allies in Europe. He made this statement in his speech at the congress of the European People's Party in Bucharest.

"The era of peace is over, the post-war era is over. We live in a new, pre-war time, and for some of our brothers, this is not 'pre-war' anymore, but full-scale war in its most brutal form"
emphasized Donald Tusk.

He urged European leaders to believe in their strength and not be afraid to take responsibility and act decisively. "We cannot continue to feed ourselves with illusions. No one will relieve us of the responsibility to fight for our security and our future. We ourselves are the best guarantee of our security and unity," emphasized the Polish Prime Minister.

Europe faces pre-war realities: Tusk urges action

Donald Tusk also stressed that Europe has everything necessary to resist Russian aggression. The potential of Europe - in economic, financial, demographic, and moral terms - is greater than the potential of those who attack us," concluded the Prime Minister of Poland.

NATO trains to repel RF attack Against the backdrop of the war Russia is waging in Ukraine, NATO is conducting large-scale military exercises. The Nordic Response 2024 ("Northern Response") drills will continue until March 15. The military maneuvers are taking place in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland involving 14 countries: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. More than 20,000 servicemen are involved, as well as 50 registered submarines, frigates, corvettes, aircraft carriers, and landing ships. Also involved are over 100 fighter jets, transport planes, maritime surveillance aircraft, allied helicopters, and special forces aircraft.

The main task of the military exercises is to practice the defense and protection of the Scandinavian region at sea and on land. These are the first exercises for Finland as a new NATO member - about 4,000 Finnish soldiers are participating. In January, NATO began its largest military exercises in decades. During the Steadfast Defender 2024 maneuvers, allied forces practice the transfer of forces from North America across the Atlantic to Europe, to the eastern borders.

Dragon-24 maneuvers in Poland

Meanwhile, in Poland, the military is practicing the crossing of the Wisla River. Over 3,500 soldiers and a thousand pieces of equipment are involved in the Dragon-24 maneuvers. This information is available on the website of the Polish Ministry of Defense. "Such exercises fulfill NATO's mission of deterrence and are not directed against anyone. But the context of what is happening in the world today is obvious. Obviously, we must be ready here and now, every day fulfilling our obligations to our allies," said the head of the Polish Ministry of Defense, Vladislav Kosinyak-Kamysh.

Overall, about 20,000 military personnel and 3,500 pieces of equipment from 9 Alliance countries are involved in the Dragon-24 exercises. From the Polish side, about 15,000 soldiers are participating. Dragon-24 is a test of cooperation and the fulfillment of combat missions on land, at sea, in the air, and in cyberspace.