Worldwide geopolitical tensions are at critical levels and there is a genuine possibility of a world war in the not-so-distant future. These are the sentiments of Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, after the recent developments in the Russia-Ukraine war.
In recent weeks, the war has escalated on several fronts. First, after strengthening an alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un deployed thousands of troops to fight in the war on Russia’s behalf. Then, after months of refusing to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles made in the U.S., President Joe Biden reversed course and agreed to allow Ukraine to use ATACMS long-range missiles.
Russia then retaliated by firing hypersonic ballistic missiles at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. This led to heightened alerts from the U.S. and NATO allies, which led to scheduling an emergency meeting on Tuesday between NATO and Ukraine to evaluate how to respond. NATO allies called Russia’s missile attack an escalation, while Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a response to the use of ATACMS missiles and a warning not to continue doing so.
Tusk cautioned that the continued escalation from both sides was creating a perilous situation.
“The war in the east is entering a decisive phase; we feel that the unknown is approaching,” Tusk said. “The conflict is taking on dramatic proportions. The last few dozen hours have shown that the threat is serious and real when it comes to global conflict.”
Tusk first warned of the potential of a devastating military conflict earlier this year. During an interview, Tusk cautioned that Europe was not taking the threat of war seriously and was, ultimately, unprepared for an escalation in the conflict.
“Literally any scenario is possible,” Tusk said at the time. “I know it sounds devastating, especially to people of the younger generation, but we have to mentally get used to a new era. We are in a pre-war era. I don’t exaggerate. This is becoming more and more apparent every day.”
While explaining why Russia must not defeat Ukraine, Tusk said that Europe was stuck in a “pre-war era” and that leaders on the continent needed to realize that war is “real, and it started over two years ago,” BBC reported.
“We are living in the most critical moment since the end of the Second World War,” Tusk said at the time.