--- title: "Tusk: Autumn and winter 2026 could be decisive for Ukraine's independence and the security of all of Europe" description: "Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that autumn and winter 2026 could be decisive for Ukraine's independence and the security of all of Europe, calling on the West to stand in solidarity and to draw the lessons of 1939." date: 2026-09-01T11:46:06.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/tusk-2026-autumn-and-winter-decisive-for-ukraine-and-europe tags: [donald-tusk, poland, ukraine-security, europe-security, wwii-anniversary, nato] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Tusk: Autumn and winter 2026 could be decisive for Ukraine's independence and the security of all of Europe ![Donald Tusk against the Polish flag during a statement on threats to Europe's security and Ukraine's independence in 2026](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/01/tusk-2026-osen-i-zima-reshayushchie-dlya-ukrainy-i-evropy/tusk-2026-osen-i-zima-reshayushchie-dlya-ukrainy-i-evropy-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Tusk called autumn and winter 2026 potentially decisive for Ukraine's independence and Europe's security. - The Polish Prime Minister called for drawing lessons from 1939 and not pursuing a "policy of helplessness." - In his words, Russia is preparing for escalation, and NATO cannot rule out possible provocations in the next six months. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the coming months — autumn and the approaching winter — could prove decisive not only for Ukraine's independence but also for the security of Poland itself and the entire free world. In his words, the whole world must now unite in support of Kyiv, as a critical period approaches, and, in his assessment, the survival of Ukraine determines the security of the global community. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Polsat News. ### The lesson of 1939: "evil is once again lurking nearby" Speaking on the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, Tusk emphasized that modern leaders must draw the right conclusions from the events of 1939 and not pursue a "policy of helplessness," refusing to yield to "evil, lies, or hatred." He recalled that responsibility for unleashing World War II lies with Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, and that the world at the time allowed them to commit aggression with impunity. "There is no ambiguity here. It was, is, and will remain obvious to every decent person, regardless of where they were born or what their nationality is," the head of the Polish government declared, adding that 87 years after the start of the war, "evil is once again lurking nearby." ### Solidarity, strong alliances, and one's own capabilities In Tusk's view, the main lesson of that era is that democratic countries must be strong, rely on their own capabilities, and build genuine alliances, rather than simply waiting for others to react. He called on partners to act today, not to postpone decisions, since, in his words, the fate of all of Europe depends on the events in Ukraine. This statement fits within the broader course of the Polish leadership, which earlier, in particular at a conference in June 2026, insisted that Europe's future must be built on truth and mutual respect. ### Escalation risk: NATO cannot rule out provocations Tusk directly called Russia a "brutal aggressor" and pointed out that the West's duty is to recognize the link between what is happening in Ukraine and the security of the European continent. Recalling his own recent assessments, he stated that the aggressor state is preparing for a new escalation, and that the next six months will be decisive for the region's security. For this reason, in his words, NATO and individual Alliance members cannot rule out possible Russian provocations, which requires Western capitals to be ready and united in solidarity right now. ### Diplomatic context and parallel tracks The statement came against the backdrop of ongoing bilateral contacts between Poland and its neighbors and Alliance partners. In parallel, a track on normalizing relations between Warsaw and Kyiv is also being discussed: according to reports, Ukraine is seeking a way to ease tensions in its relations with Poland, which could affect the nature of the joint position on security issues. In an earlier context, Tusk also emphasized Poland's readiness, together with France and other partners, to "fight for Europe's security," indicating Warsaw's consistent line on strengthening collective defense. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Tusk spoke of "decisive months" not only for Ukraine but also for Poland](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/tusk-zayaviv-virishalni-misyatsi-lishe-ukrayini-1788262735.html) - Прямое подтверждение ключевого заявления Туска о решающих осенне-зимних месяцах для Украины и Польши; совпадает с основным текстом. - [Tusk: Ukraine is seeking a way to ease tensions in relations with Poland](https://rus.delfi.lv/57862/v-mire/120125168/tusk-ukraina-ishchet-vozmozhnost-oslabit-napryazhennost-v-otnosheniyah-s-polshey) - Смежный дипломатический трек (отношения Варшава–Киев); не противоречит заявлению о безопасности, используется как контекст. - [Tusk: Europe's future must be built on truth and mutual respect](https://ru.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/25/tusk-conference) - Контекст: позиция Туска (конференция, 25.06.2026) о будущем Европы на основе правды и взаимного уважения; не противоречит основному тезису. - ["Together with France, ready to fight for Europe's security": how the Tusk–Macron meeting went ...](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0/20240212-%D0%B2%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5-%D1%81-%D1%84%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%B9-%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%8B-%D1%81%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B6%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C%D1%81%D1%8F-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%8B-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BA-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%88%D0%BB%D0%B0-%D0%B2%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B0-%D1%82%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0-%D0%B8-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%B2-%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B6%D0%B5) - Исторический контекст (2024) о линии Польши на коллективную безопасность; не подтверждает и не опровергает текущее 2026-е заявление. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What exactly did Donald Tusk say about autumn and winter 2026? **A:** Tusk stated that the coming months — autumn and the approaching winter — could prove decisive not only for Ukraine's independence but also for the security of Poland and the entire free world, calling on the West to stand in solidarity. ### Q: What historical analogy did the Polish Prime Minister draw? **A:** Tusk referred to the events of 1939 and the responsibility of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia for unleashing World War II, stating that 87 years later "evil is once again lurking nearby" and that a policy of helplessness cannot be pursued. ### Q: What did Tusk say about the risk of escalation from Russia? **A:** He called Russia a brutal aggressor, pointed to preparations for a new escalation, and stated that the next six months will be decisive, so NATO and its members cannot rule out possible Russian provocations.