Polish FM Says NATO Could Defeat Russia Quickly in War

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that NATO could defeat Russia "quite quickly" in a conventional war, citing the alliance's overwhelming air superiority. Speaking at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv on September 12, Sikorski argued that even without direct U.S. support, European NATO members possess a decisive military advantage. "If Russia attacked us and we took our gloves off, I think we would defeat Russia quite quickly," Sikorski said. "We have overwhelming superiority over Russia in air power." He estimated NATO's combined air fleet at roughly 2,500 aircraft and pointed to advanced capabilities like F-35 fighter jets and JASSM cruise missiles. Sikorski extended his argument to energy infrastructure, drawing a parallel with Ukraine's campaign against Russian refineries. "If the Ukrainians have knocked out half of Russia's refining capacity in six months, we could do it in six weeks and take out the other half," he said. He also noted that the combined defense budgets of the Baltic and Nordic states alone exceed Russia's military spending. The remarks drew a sharp response from Moscow.