Kremlin advisor Nikolai Patrushev threatened this Tuesday that Poland "would cease to exist in two or three days" if it entered direct military confrontation with Russia. The statement was interpreted as a serious warning to Polish authorities.
The threat comes at a time of growing tension between Russia and NATO member countries, with Poland assuming a prominent role in supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion. Warsaw has been one of Kiev's firmest allies in Europe.
Patrushev, a figure close to Vladimir Putin and Russia's National Security Advisor, is known for forceful statements and threats directed at countries he considers hostile to Moscow. This is not the first time he has made extreme statements about Western nations.
NATO has been reinforcing its military presence in Poland and other eastern flank countries, which has been consistently criticized by Russia as a threat to its security. Patrushev's statements come in this context of verbal escalation between the Kremlin and the West.
