Russia 'is boiling the frog.' Minister on attacks on NATO countries

In a Thursday interview on the Polsat News programme “Graffiti”, Minister Tomasz Siemoniak referred to last week’s speech by Gen Alexus Grynkewich, in which the SACEUR commander presented the so-called “Theory of Victory”. According to Minister Siemoniak, it should be appreciated that the general did not ignore the issue of Russian hybrid attacks.

Russian 'boiling frog'

“Gen Grynkewich’s speech in Warsaw emphasised that all these incidents are also matters concerning NATO. If the Alliance only waits for a major war, it will lose its purpose from the perspective of member states. NATO must recognise hybrid acts and various hostile activities and respond to them. If there is no reaction, the ‘boiling frog’ process will continue,” the politician stated.

Asked where the “red line” is, after which NATO would decide to trigger Article 4 or Article 5, he stated that Russia is trying to blur this line. “Against European states, it uses a ‘boiling frog’ strategy – we are being grimly accustomed to the threat and are losing sensitivity to various actions,” he said.

Better cooperation with Germany

During the conversation, the minister referred to a recent meeting with the coordinator of German intelligence services, Philipp Wolf. Tomasz Siemoniak spoke about the improvement in Polish-German cooperation over the last three years. According to the minister, Berlin’s greater commitment to cooperation also stems from the fact that the Germans themselves have experienced Russian hybrid activities directed against them. “Russia is waging a brutal war in Ukraine, and attacking countries that support Kyiv is a direct element of this aggression,” he added, acknowledging that since Chancellor Merz took office, Germany has increased its commitment to aiding Kyiv.