Polish FM proposes European Legion that would include Ukrainians
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski (photo: Getty Images)
Europe needs much deeper military integration and the creation of a permanent "European Legion" to complement NATO and recruit Ukrainian veterans, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated in an interview with Kathimerini.
Europe's role, establishing a new force
Poland's foreign minister emphasized that Washington has been signaling for years that its strategic focus is shifting toward the Indo-Pacific region.
According to him, the United States remains an indispensable anchor of collective defense and will provide unique technological and intelligence capabilities, but Europe must do the heavy lifting on the ground.
To achieve this, the European Union needs permanent forces built around experienced personnel.
"I strongly advocate for a "European Legion," a dedicated, standing force that could recruit seasoned professionals from the broader European family, including battle-hardened Ukrainian veterans after the war," Sikorski said.
He stressed that the idea is not to build a parallel alternative to NATO or duplicate its structures, but to create a stronger European pillar within the Alliance.
Russian hybrid threats, peace talks
The minister noted that Russia is already waging an active hybrid war against European societies through sabotage, disinformation, cyberattacks and provocations.
Moscow uses a "Maskirovka" doctrine, which relies on disinformation, camouflage and false-flag operations. The worse Russia performs on the battlefield in Ukraine, the more aggressively the Kremlin seeks to destabilize the West.
Sikorski also expressed concern about diplomatic efforts to end Russian aggression.
"Any long-term peace in our region cannot be engineered over the heads of the Ukrainians. It must be a peace that Kyiv and Moscow actually sign off on," the Polish foreign minister stressed.
He added that Europe, including Poland, must have a prominent seat at the negotiating table because Europeans are becoming targets of Russian hybrid attacks every day.
Security, threats from Russia
As previously reported, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland's army would soon become the largest in Europe thanks to modern weapons and the country's rapid economic growth.
At the same time, Warsaw continues to assess risks of a direct confrontation with the Kremlin. As Minister Sikorski noted, Russia currently lacks resources to launch a military attack on Poland, while Vladimir Putin will ultimately suffer defeat in the war against Ukraine.
However, Poland regularly warns its allies about Russian sabotage activities.
In particular, Sikorski has emphasized that Russia prepares new provocations and acts of sabotage against European countries, but that exposing these plans is intended to deter the Kremlin from further aggressive actions.
