Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says the Russian invasion of Ukraine a little over two years ago heralded a new, warlike era in Europe.

“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 am not exaggerating; this is becoming clearer every day,” he said.

“I don’t want to scare anyone, but war is no longer a concept from the past. It is real, and it started over two years ago.” the Polish leader added.

According to him, the most worrying thing now is that literally any scenario is possible.

“We haven’t seen a situation like this since 1945. In that year, World War II came to an end with the surrender of Hitler’s Germany,” he stressed.

At the same time, Mr Tusk said he was observing a revolution in the European mentality, noting that nobody questioned the need for common defence.

“Take a look at Germany, where a huge turnaround has taken place. Today, the CDU and SPD are competing to see which of them is more pro-Ukrainian,” he said.

Given the instrumentalisation of migrants by Russia, he called for more consistent protection of the EU’s external borders.

“The European Union as a whole, as a powerful organisation, must be mentally prepared to fight for the security of our borders and our territory,” he said. 

(dpa/NAN)