GDANSK, Poland — Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said Russia could stage a "false flag" operation to create a pretext for attacking a NATO member, warning that the alliance should be prepared for potential hybrid threats as tensions with Moscow remain high.
Speaking in an interview with CBS News published on Friday, Sikorski said he could not rule out Russia carrying out "some kind of false flag operation" on its own territory to justify military action against a NATO country. "We need to communicate to Putin that we know what he's up to and that we will not be taken in and that this would be completely unacceptable, and we would defend every inch of NATO territory," he said.
Sikorski's remarks came as NATO members continue to reinforce the alliance's eastern flank following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine and amid ongoing concerns over Russian hybrid activities, including cyberattacks, sabotage and disinformation campaigns, according to Western governments and security agencies.
The Polish minister said he believed Ukraine's continued resistance had limited Russia's ability to mount a broader conventional military challenge against NATO, but cautioned that other forms of escalation remained possible. He referred to historical examples in which fabricated incidents were used to justify military action, according to the interview.
The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected Western accusations that Russia seeks to attack NATO territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow has no intention of attacking alliance members and has accused NATO of increasing tensions by expanding its military presence near Russia's borders and supporting Ukraine.
Polish officials have consistently warned of hybrid threats linked to Russia. Earlier this month, Sikorski said Moscow was conducting what he described as a "full-scale cognitive war" against Poland and other Western countries through disinformation and influence operations, according to Poland's Foreign Ministry.
Western intelligence agencies have also reported concerns over sabotage, cyber activity and other hybrid operations that they attribute to Russia. Moscow has denied responsibility for such accusations.
Poland, which borders Ukraine and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad as well as Belarus, has become one of NATO's principal logistical hubs for military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since the conflict escalated. Warsaw has also increased defense spending and expanded its armed forces in coordination with NATO allies.
There was no indication from Polish officials that a specific attack or operation was imminent. Sikorski's comments were presented as a warning about potential future scenarios, and no evidence was publicly released to support a specific planned Russian operation.
