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The days when we believed Russia had “the second strongest army in the world” are over, he says.
Living next door to an aggressive superpower can easily keep any nation on edge.
Yet, a sudden shift in modern warfare suggests that the immediate danger to neighboring countries might not be as severe as originally feared.
Poland is watching its borders closely but remains remarkably calm despite recent threats. Speaking to the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski shared this grounded perspective, explaining that Moscow currently lacks the power to launch a successful attack.
Furthermore, the Russian army has proven that even though it is indeed a massive force and poses a threat, it is by no means unstoppable.
“We used to think Putin had the second strongest army in the world,” Sikorski quipped. “Today, it can be said that he has the second strongest army in Ukraine.”
Intelligence warns of Russian aggression
Behind the scenes, this stance follows US intelligence warnings from early July about potential Russian actions against Warsaw.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov quickly dismissed those reports as mere scare stories, but given the Kremlin’s track record of saying one thing and doing something else, Sikorski countered by highlighting his country’s long history of dealing with threats.
“For about 500 years, we have been thinking about our security in relation to Russia, and we are not going to stop,” he said.
Spoiling the plot
By exposing these plans early, Poland hopes to deter the Kremlin from acting.
The reality on the ground supports Warsaw’s confidence. Moscow has failed to fully capture the eastern Donbas region despite fighting there for over a decade, starting when they first backed proxy forces in 2014.
Still, Sikorski warned that further aggression from Moscow cannot be entirely ruled out, even as the Russian forces are facing increasing hardship and stalling advances in Ukraine.
He noted that Vladimir Putin frequently makes major battlefield choices based on “overly optimistic and completely mistaken assessments.”
