Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski proposed creating a permanent European Legion including Ukrainian combat veterans to strengthen continental defence.
In an interview with Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Sikorski said Europe requires far deeper military integration to supplement the NATO alliance.
Sikorski explained that Washington has signaled a strategic shift toward the Indo-Pacific region for several years. While the United States remains an indispensable bulwark of collective defence with unique intelligence and technological assets, he said European nations must carry out the heavy work directly on the ground.
To achieve this, Sikorski called for dedicated standing forces drawn from experienced professionals across Europe. He strongly advocated for a European Legion capable of recruiting battle-hardened veterans from the broader European family following the war in Ukraine.
Poland, a member of both the European Union and NATO sharing borders with Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, has long pressed for stronger defense capabilities. Sikorski emphasized that the proposed force would not act as a parallel alternative to NATO or duplicate existing structures, but would instead form a stronger European pillar inside the alliance.
Russian hybrid warfare and peace talks
The Polish diplomat warned that Russia is already waging an active hybrid war against European societies through sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation, and provocations.
He noted that Moscow employs the Maskirovka doctrine, a strategy centered on camouflage, false-flag operations, and disinformation. The worse Russia performs on Ukrainian battlefields, he said, the more aggressively the Kremlin attempts to destabilize Western nations.
Addressing potential diplomatic efforts to end Russian aggression, Sikorski cautioned that no lasting peace in the region can be established without Ukrainian support. He stressed that any long-term settlement must be formally signed by both Kyiv and Moscow.
He added that European nations, and Poland in particular, must hold a leading role at the negotiating table because their populations face daily targeting from Russian hybrid operations.
NATO eastern flank activity
The proposal comes amid shifting security conditions on NATO's eastern flank. Data from the alliance revealed that NATO aircraft scramble sorties triggered by Russian air force activity rose by more than 250 percent in July 2026 compared to the same period last year.
Following that sharp surge in air activity, conditions along the alliance border unexpectedly quieted down. NATO reported that Russian military aircraft did not violate the airspace of alliance member countries this week.
