Polish FM Sikorski: NATO must prepare response to potential deadly Russian hybrid attacks
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has warned that NATO needs to prepare a decisive response to possible deadly Russian hybrid attacks in Europe, saying the likelihood of casualties is growing as Moscow intensifies operations aimed at destabilizing European societies. In remarks to the Financial Times during a visit to London, Sikorski noted that NATO has no pre-agreed definition of what constitutes a cross-border attack and would need a serious discussion on how to respond if people begin to die. He refrained from specifying a particular response, but called on European allies to close Russian consulates, restrict the movement of Russian diplomats, introduce biometric passports for Russians entering the EU, and reduce tourist visas issued to Russian citizens.
Key points
- Sikorski said the probability of people being killed in Russian hybrid operations is growing as Moscow increases destabilization campaigns in Europe.
- He noted NATO has no pre-agreed definition of what counts as a cross-border attack, leaving any alliance response to discretionary discussion.
- Poland and Estonia have already invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty following Russian drone and fighter jet airspace violations.
- Sikorski called on EU countries to close Russian consulates, restrict Russian diplomats' movement, and reduce the number of Russian diplomatic representatives.
- He proposed that all Russians entering the EU carry biometric passports to prevent operatives using false identities.
- Sikorski backed calls to reduce the tourist visas the EU issues to Russian citizens, and noted Poland no longer has any Russian consulates.
- The remarks were made in an interview with the Financial Times during a visit to London.
Why it matters
A senior European foreign minister is publicly warning that Russian hybrid operations could soon produce casualties, raising political pressure on NATO to clarify what triggers a collective response. His comments spotlight a legal and policy gap: NATO has no pre-agreed definition of a cross-border attack in a hybrid context, leaving any reaction to discretionary alliance-wide discussion. Poland and Estonia have already moved from rhetoric to operational disruption by invoking Article 4 consultations after Russian airspace violations. Sikorski's concrete proposals — from closing consulates to biometric entry requirements — push the debate beyond NATO defense into EU-wide policy on Russia.
What happened
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski used an interview with the Financial Times during a visit to London to argue that NATO must prepare a decisive response to potential deadly Russian hybrid attacks in Europe. He said the likelihood of people being killed is rising as Russia intensifies operations aimed at destabilizing European societies and creating disorder, and added that NATO has no pre-agreed definition of what constitutes a cross-border attack. If people start dying, he warned, the alliance will need to hold another very serious discussion about how to respond, though he declined to specify what that response should be. He reminded readers that Poland and Estonia have already triggered Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty — the mechanism for high-level allied consultations — following airspace violations by Russian drones and fighter jets. Sikorski called on European allies to close Russian consulates, restrict the movement of Russian diplomats in host countries, and reduce the overall number of Russian diplomatic representatives, noting that Poland no longer has any Russian consulates while other EU countries still do. He also proposed that all Russians entering the EU should carry biometric passports to prevent operatives from using false identities, and supported calls to reduce the tourist visas the EU issues to Russian citizens.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All four supplied sources are Ukrainian-language outlets, and they frame Sikorski's message through the threat hybrid attacks pose to European stability and to support for Ukraine. The coverage highlights the hybrid-threat framing — airspace violations, sabotage and cyberattacks — as well as Sikorski's specific policy prescriptions on Russian diplomats and visas, presenting them as directly relevant to Ukraine's own security environment. Ukrainian outlets emphasize Sikorski's warning that NATO lacks a pre-agreed definition of a cross-border attack, presenting this as a vulnerability that could shape how Europe responds to Russian aggression beyond Ukraine.
Background
Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty is the mechanism through which NATO allies request high-level consultations; Poland and Estonia have already used it following Russian drone and fighter jet incursions into allied airspace. Article 5, the alliance's collective defense clause, has been invoked only once, by the United States after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Nearly 500,000 tourist visas were issued to Russian citizens by the EU last year — the backdrop to Sikorski's call for a reduction. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in September that member states could tighten controls on Russian diplomats within the Schengen area, and the EU Council on Foreign Affairs was scheduled to discuss additional restrictions on Russian diplomats on October 12.