Polish PM Tusk warns Europe has entered ‘pre-war era’

[Boats]

Polish PM Tusk warns Europe has entered ‘pre-war era’By:
By: EURACTIV.com with AFP and Reuters
Re: https://www.euractiv.com/section/glo...ews/polish-pm-
tusk-warns-europe-has-entered-pre-war-era/

1. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk attends a joint press conference
with the Ukrainian prime minister after their meeting at the Prime
Minister's Office in Warsaw, Poland, 28 March 2024.
[EPA-EFE/Marcin Obara]

1a. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned of the “real” threat
of conflict in Europe, saying that for the first time since the end of
World War II the continent has entered a “pre-war era”.

“War is no longer a concept from the past. It is real, and it started
over two years ago. The most worrying thing at the moment is that
literally any scenario is possible. We haven’t seen a situation like
this since 1945,” Tusk said in an interview with the European media
grouping LENA on Friday (29 March).

“I know it sounds devastating, especially for the younger generation,
but we have to get used to the fact that a new era has begun: the
pre-war era. I’m not exaggerating; it’s becoming clearer every day.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago upended
European leaders’ sense of unshakeable post-war peace, prompting
many countries to gear up weapons production to supply both Kiev
and their own militaries.

Former European Council president Tusk, whose country has been
one of the staunchest supporters of neighbouring Ukraine, said
Friday that if Kyiv lost, “no one” in Europe would feel safe.

Also front of mind for the continent is the potential return of former
US president Donald Trump, whose openly NATO-sceptic posture has
raised questions over the reliability of American military assistance
should he be re-elected in November.

“Our job is to nurture transatlantic relations, regardless of who the
US president is,” Tusk said in the interview.

French President Emmanuel Macron has stepped forward to send
the message that European allies would stand in support of Ukraine
no matter who will win the US election. But he sparked controversy
when he declared on 26 February that “nothing had been ruled out”
regarding sending troops to Ukraine.

[Ukraine: Macron accepts possibility of need for troops in Ukraine
Commenting on his recent statements on the possibility of sending
troops to Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said in a
television interview on Thursday that France would “never go on
the offensive” but reiterated his goal of making Russia lose.]

Comment: He began by assuring the French that France would
“never” take the “initiative” in any offensive in Ukraine, but he
“accepts the possibility”.

“We are not at war with Russia, but we must not let it win”,
Macron insisted.

‘Ukraine will have to retreat’

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview published on
Friday that if Ukraine does not get promised US military aid blocked
by disputes in Congress, its forces will have to retreat “in small steps”.

“If there is no US support, it means that we have no air defence,
no Patriot missiles, no jammers for electronic warfare, no He said
Washington’s reaction to the wave of Ukrainian attacks was “not positive”,
but Kyiv was using its own drones.

“We used our drones. Nobody can say to us you can’t,” he told the
newspaper. If there is no air defence to protect our energy system and
Russians attack it, my question is: Why can’t we answer them?” he said.

“Their society has to learn to live without petrol, without diesel,
without electricity. When Russia will stop these steps, we will stop.”

(Edited by Georgi Gotev)
155-milimetre artillery rounds,” Zelenskyy told the Washington Post.

“It means we will go back, retreat, step by step, in small steps,”
he said. “We are trying to find some way not to retreat.”

Shortages of munitions, he said, meant “you have to do with less.
How? Of course, to go back. Make the front line shorter. If it breaks, the
Russians could go to the big cities.”

Democratic President Joe Biden has urged the Republican-controlled
US House of Representatives to endorse the military and financial aid
package, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has held up the matter for
months, citing domestic priorities.

Zelenskyy told Johnson in a telephone conversation on Thursday that
approval of the package was vital.

Russian forces captured the eastern town of Avdiivka last month and
have made small gains since, but the front lines have changed little
in months.

In his interview, the Ukrainian president said Ukraine was making up
for shortages of missiles with home-produced weaponry and air defence
systems, “but it is not enough”.

More than two years into the war, Russia has intensified attacks on
energy and other infrastructure in recent weeks.

Ukrainian troops have been unable to advance, and [Zelenskyy said
Kyiv intended to pursue attacks on targets in Russia, including oil refineries.]

Ukraine knocks out Russian refinery in major attack!

Ukraine pounded targets in Russia on Tuesday (12 March) with dozens
of drones and rockets in an attack that inflicted serious damage on a
major oil refinery and sought to pierce the land borders of the world’s
biggest nuclear power with armed proxies.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview published on Friday
that if Ukraine does not get promised US military aid blocked by disputes
in Congress, its forces will have to retreat “in small steps”.

“If there is no US support, it means that we have no air defence, no
Patriot missiles, no jammers for electronic warfare, no 155-milimetre
artillery rounds,” Zelenskyy told the Washington Post.

“It means we will go back, retreat, step by step, in small steps,”
he said. “We are trying to find some way not to retreat.”

Shortages of munitions, he said, meant “you have to do with less.
How? Of course, to go back. Make the front line shorter. If it breaks,
the Russians could go to the big cities.”

Democratic President Joe Biden has urged the Republican-controlled
US House of Representatives to endorse the military and financial
aid package, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has held up the
matter for months, citing domestic priorities.

Zelenskyy told Johnson in a telephone conversation on Thursday
that approval of the package was vital.

Ukraine knocks out Russian refinery in major attack:
Ukraine pounded targets in Russia on Tuesday (12 March) with
dozens of drones and rockets in an attack that inflicted serious
damage on a major oil refinery and sought to pierce the land
borders of the world’s biggest nuclear power with armed proxies.

He said Washington’s reaction to the wave of Ukrainian attacks
was “not positive”, but Kyiv was using its own drones.

“We used our drones. Nobody can say to us you can’t,” he told the
newspaper. If there is no air defence to protect our energy system
and Russians attack it, my question is: Why can’t we answer them?”
he said.

“Their society has to learn to live without petrol, without diesel,
without electricity. When Russia will stop these steps, we will stop.”

(Edited by: Georgi Gotev)
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Personal note: Putin won't sit back should all these actions take place
and yet it could trigger a few nukes as a warning which we know would
be a big mistake - but when you corner a rat - & eventually he will fight
back and hopefully without nukes - but you never know!?
-
Boats