Poland's Sikorski warns NATO must prepare decisive response if Russian hybrid attacks start killing people

From the Newshound archive · first published 12 October 2026.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has warned NATO allies that Russia's intensifying sabotage campaign across Europe is raising the odds that someone will be killed, and the alliance has no agreed definition of what response that would trigger. Sikorski said: 'If people start dying, then we'll have to have another very serious conversation at NATO.' He also called on EU states to close Russian consulates, restrict diplomat movement and tighten tourist visa rules.

Sikorski warned there is no pre-agreed NATO threshold for responding to hybrid attacks, asking: 'When will we make a judgment that the Russians have come too far?'

Poland and Estonia have already invoked Article 4 — requiring alliance-wide consultations — after Russian drones violated their airspace, implying any deadly attack would demand an even stronger reaction.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council is also meeting today to discuss potentially banning Russian diplomats from travelling outside their accredited country across the Schengen Area.