Trump says Russia has been attacking Ukraine's allies for about five years
Speaking from the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump said Russia has already been attacking Ukraine's allies for approximately five years, responding to a Polish journalist's question about Polish leaders' concerns over a possible Russian attack on Kyiv's allies. Trump praised Polish President Nawrocki and said he keeps the situation under control, a day after announcing significant progress on a new US military base in Poland. The remarks come against a backdrop of rising European anxiety over Russian hybrid activity and warnings from European leaders of possible provocations against NATO members.
Key points
- Trump said from the Oval Office that Russia has been attacking Ukraine's allies for approximately five years.
- He made the comment in response to a question about Polish leaders' concerns over a possible Russian attack on Kyiv's allies.
- Trump praised Polish President Nawrocki, saying he keeps the situation under control, and noted he had supported Nawrocki when he was in 12th place.
- The day before, Trump reported significant progress on creating a new US military base in Poland.
- The Ukrainian Sahaidachny Security Center counted 100 officially attributed hybrid incidents in Europe from January through August, versus 60 in the same period a year earlier.
- A senior NATO official said the real figure is at least 200-plus, excluding cyberattacks, and that NATO headquarters in Brussels faces thousands of cyberattacks per month.
- At the end of August, CIA Director John Ratcliffe warned Russian officials in Moscow against escalation against NATO allies, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Why it matters
A sitting US president publicly endorsing the idea that Russia has been running a multi-year campaign against Ukraine's European allies gives high-level credibility to European security concerns that have been building through the summer. Trump's words carry particular weight because they come amid reports of intensified Russian hybrid operations across Europe and warnings from European capitals of possible provocations against NATO members, and they may complicate the administration's own diplomatic posture toward Moscow.
What happened
On 19 September 2026, speaking from the Oval Office of the White House, US President Donald Trump responded to a Polish journalist's question about Polish leaders' concerns over a possible Russian attack on Ukraine's allies by saying that Russia has already been attacking those allies for approximately five years. When the journalist specified that Poland itself was concerned about a possible attack, Trump praised Polish President Nawrocki, describing him as keeping the situation under control and noting that he had supported Nawrocki when he was in 12th place. The remarks came a day after Trump said there had been significant progress toward a new US military base in Poland.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage treats Trump's statement as a high-profile validation of Kyiv's longstanding warnings about Russian aggression against European partners. Sources prominently cite the Sahaidachny Security Center's count of 100 officially attributed hybrid incidents in Europe from January through August, alongside a NATO official's figure of "at least 200-plus" excluding cyberattacks, to document what they describe as a documented intensification of Russian activity. The framing emphasizes alignment between Trump's remarks and the concerns voiced by Poland and the Baltic states, and highlights Trump's reported progress on a new US military base in Poland as a security reassurance.
Where reporting differs
Sources disagree on the count of hybrid incidents in Europe for the January–August period: the Ukrainian Sahaidachny Security Center reported 100 officially attributed incidents, while a senior NATO official put the real figure at "at least 200-plus" excluding cyberattacks. The two figures are presented as different counts from different sources for the same period. Threat framing also diverges: some reporting emphasizes warnings of possible Russian attacks or false-flag operations against Poland and the Baltic states, while a NATO representative said the alliance does not currently see an imminent threat of attack.
Background
European anxiety over Russian activity has risen through 2026. The Sahaidachny Security Center, a Ukrainian analytical center, counted 100 officially attributed hybrid incidents in Europe from January through August, up from 60 in the same period a year earlier; a senior NATO official put the real figure at "at least 200-plus" excluding cyberattacks, and said NATO headquarters in Brussels faces thousands of cyberattacks per month. In August, US intelligence reportedly warned that Moscow may be planning a limited attack on a NATO country in the coming years, and at the end of August CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow to warn Russian officials against escalation against Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said Vilnius has the same intelligence as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk about a possible false-flag operation, with the data dating back to July. The Telegraph published possible scenarios for a Russian attack on NATO in August. NATO's official line is that the alliance does not currently see an imminent threat of attack but warns against complacency.