NATO allies: War with Russia could come ‘very soon’

NATO faces a “pre-war era” in which “literally any scenario is possible” given the potential for aggression from Russia, according to Poland’s prime minister, the latest evidence that allies see a growing likelihood of major conflict. “Literally any scenario is possible,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a group of journalists in a newly-published interview. His urgent appeal adds a center-left voice to a chorus of Russia hawks typically populated by more conservative perspectives or the Baltic state leaders who feel acutely their vulnerability to Russia. “It seems to me that this final realization has come only after the aggression began.”Russian President Vladimir Putin denies any intention to “fight NATO” in the event that the war in Ukraine ends with a Russian victory. “There is no reason for Europeans not to respect the fundamental principle [of NATO] and spend a minimum of 2% of GDP on defense,” Tusk said, according to a transcript from El Pais.