Speaking at a debate on war and peace in Wrocław, part of the Re_Mind Congress, Sikorski, who also serves as deputy prime minister, argued that Russia has been unable to fully capture the Donbas after 13 years of fighting there, let alone conquer the whole of Ukraine.
"If by the end of the decade we build the army we are planning, one would have to be a madman to attack us," he said.
"But we need to do our part. No panic – just get on with it: the Western way, the Scandinavian way, solidly, without getting carried away," Sikorski added.
He stressed that proper preparation is essential, including giving soldiers regular breaks.
"A soldier 'wears out' after 3-9 months," he said, adding that Ukraine's shortage of troops has forced many to serve at the front for years, which he called "a tragedy".
Sikorski argued that public awareness of security threats is critical, citing Britain as an example.
He said the UK's defence minister resigned after being denied additional military funding, which he attributed to politicians lacking a sufficient sense of threat: "They did not give him the money because politicians do not feel threatened enough."
Sikorski said Russia has been mapping undersea infrastructure and sent saboteurs to set fire to the British prime minister's house.
Governments, he said, have tried to play down the danger, but "we, as politicians, must tell people how things really are."
Senator Adam Bodnar, Poland's former justice minister, agreed that the sense of threat varies by region.
He recalled how, as prosecutor general, he was struck by how often new cases of sabotage, subversion and espionage emerged, with the numbers rising sharply.
Bodnar pointed to recent incidents, including a fire at Warsaw's Marywilska shopping centre, an attempted arson at a Wrocław paint factory and the killing of a Russian man in Biała Podlaska, as signs of a new and unprecedented pattern.
While there is no full proof yet, he said, "political executions of [Vladimir ed.] Putin's enemies on Polish territory are not some historical tale. These are simply events we are recording."
The debate opened the Re_Mind Psychological Congress and Festival, running 22–24 June in Wrocław, featuring more than 200 speakers including American psychologist Robert Cialdini and Polish Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk.
(ał)
Source: PAP