---
title: "Tusk: War of attrition against Ukraine's economy enters decisive phase — 'heavy months' ahead"
description: "Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the war aimed at exhausting Ukraine's economy is entering a decisive phase, and warned of heavy weeks ahead for Kyiv and its allies."
date: 2026-09-18T10:20:02.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/tusk-war-of-attrition-ukraine-economy-decisive-phase
tags: [poland, donald-tusk, ukraine-war, nato, energy-infrastructure, carpathian-summit]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Tusk: War of attrition against Ukraine's economy enters decisive phase — 'heavy months' ahead

![Donald Tusk against a flag backdrop: statement on the war of economic attrition against Ukraine and the coming hard months](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/19/tusk-voyna-istoroshchenie-ekonomiki-ukrainy-reshayushchaya-faza/tusk-voyna-istoroshchenie-ekonomiki-ukrainy-reshayushchaya-faza-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Tusk stated that the war of attrition against Ukraine's economy is entering a decisive phase.
- According to him, Russian strikes are hitting not only energy infrastructure but also Ukrainian industry.
- Poland is preparing scenarios, including more dramatic ones, amid events at the border.
- Earlier, Tusk urgently convened a meeting after strikes on the Yagodin station near the Polish border.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that the Russian war aimed at exhausting the Ukrainian economy "appears to be entering a decisive phase." He told journalists in the corridors of the Carpathian States summit, as reported by RBC-Ukraine and UNIAN. According to the Polish leader, "heavy and difficult weeks and months" lie ahead — not only for Ukraine but for all of its allies as well.

### The decisive phase of the war of attrition

Tusk emphasized that the nature of Russian pressure is changing: attacks are now directed not only at destroying energy infrastructure but also at Ukrainian industry. Thus, according to Warsaw's assessment, Moscow is deliberately seeking to undermine Kyiv's economic resilience, forcing it and its partners into prolonged resistance amid systematic strikes on the country's industrial and energy base.

### Scenarios at the Polish border

Speaking about the situation near the Polish border, the prime minister noted that recent events are cause for concern. At the same time, he stressed that Poland and other countries "are already preparing for various scenarios, including more dramatic ones." "We are talking about possible scenarios, not about what will definitely happen… today no one can say with one hundred percent certainty what will happen," Tusk added, not ruling out the possibility of further escalation.

### Warsaw's reaction to the strike on Yagodin

Earlier, following Russian strikes on the Yagodin station near the Polish border, Donald Tusk urgently convened a meeting with the participation of ministers, government representatives, the army, and intelligence services. At that time, the Polish prime minister warned that the coming months would be a period of intensified Russian action, and did not rule out that the escalation could affect Polish territory as well. The statement in the corridors of the Carpathian States summit confirms that the security of the eastern flank remains at the center of Warsaw's agenda.

Taken together, Tusk's remarks mark a shift in the rhetoric of the Polish leadership: from tactical assessments to an acknowledgment that the conflict has entered a phase in which the key factor becomes the economic exhaustion of Ukraine and the readiness of allies for prolonged pressure. For Kyiv and its partners, this means the need to plan support for months ahead, not weeks.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- ["The war is entering a decisive phase." Tusk warns of heavy months for Ukraine and its allies](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/viyna-vhodit-virishalnu-fazu-tusk-poperediv-1789726260.html) - Первичный источник: прямые цитаты Туска в кулуарах саммита карпатских государств (через УНИАН).
- [Tusk: Europe's future must be built on truth and mutual respect](https://ru.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/25/tusk-conference) - Контекст: дипломатическая активность Туска в 2026 г.; не содержит конкретной цитаты по теме статьи.
- [Tusk to hold summit of NATO's eastern flank countries at Ukraine conference](https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/27852573) - Контекст: фокус Туска на безопасности восточного фланга; не содержит конкретной цитаты по теме статьи.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What exactly did Donald Tusk say about the war?
**A:** He stated that the war aimed at exhausting the Ukrainian economy "appears to be entering a decisive phase," and that Ukraine and its allies face "heavy and difficult weeks and months."

### Q: What are Russian strikes aimed at, according to Tusk?
**A:** According to him, the strikes are directed not only at destroying energy infrastructure but also at Ukrainian industry.

### Q: Is Poland preparing for escalation at its border?
**A:** Yes. Tusk said that Poland and other countries are preparing for various scenarios, including more dramatic ones, but stressed that no one can predict with one hundred percent certainty what will happen.

### Q: Why did Tusk convene an urgent meeting?
**A:** An urgent meeting with ministers, the army, and intelligence services was convened following Russian strikes on the Yagodin station near the Polish border.