Sikorski: NATO could quickly defeat Russia in air power, Moscow reacts sharply

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said at the YES conference in Kyiv that in the event of a Russian attack, allies would hold a significant military advantage allowing the conflict to be resolved relatively quickly. He noted the alliance has around 2,500 aircraft and that this advantage would hold even without direct US involvement.

The minister also stressed allied capability for long-range strikes on Russian territory using JASSM missiles and other weapons. As an example, he cited Ukraine's strikes on Russia's oil refining sector, saying NATO could achieve a similar outcome even faster. Sikorski also compared economic indicators, noting that the combined GDP and peacetime defense spending of Council of the Baltic Sea States members exceed Russia's figures.

Moscow's response

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Sikorski's remarks russophobia and claimed he had spoken of a possible Polish victory over Russia. In fact, Sikorski was referring to NATO's collective capabilities, not Poland's alone — Poland has only about 75-80 fighter jets, compared to Russia's roughly 300. Russian propaganda media reportedly spread his comments in a context that altered their original meaning.

The statements come after a Russian jet-powered drone struck a civilian train locomotive at Yahodyn station in Volyn region, near the Polish border. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk subsequently convened an emergency meeting and warned of a possible rapid Russian invasion of Poland.