General Stanisław Koziej, Head of the National Security Bureau, has warned that Poland must be ready for the possibility of a ‘hybrid’ war, similar to the one ongoing in eastern Ukraine.
“I am concerned about a hybrid war, [namely] clandestine or secret aggression which makes it uncertain as to whether or not there is a war,” General Koziej explained.
“We [Poland] need to prepare for such an eventuality by ourselves and at the same time convince our allies in NATO to take steps to make sure that the alliance is able to quickly deal with such a situation, because rapid action is crucial.”
Koziej added that although NATO membership should deter any open aggression, in the case of an unconventional hybrid war “it would be difficult to gain a consensus within NATO” concerning the alliance’s response.
The general said that apart from military forces, all of Polish society would be needed in the event of a ‘hybrid’ war, including the police and firefighters.
However Koziej added that the threat to Poland remains relatively low regardless, and “a more likely scenario would be attempts to act not against Poland, but, for instance, against the Baltic States, where there is a large Russian minority.”
