Military analyst and air defense historian Yuri Knutov has warned that a direct military confrontation between Poland and Russia could have severe consequences and potentially escalate into a third world war.

His comments followed recent statements by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who called for NATO to conduct more aggressive military exercises near Russia’s Kaliningrad Region. Sikorski also said Poland would be able to achieve a rapid victory if Russia attacked the country.

Knutov dismissed the idea that Poland could defeat Russia without US involvement as unrealistic. He argued that modern methods of warfare are changing rapidly and said Poland’s current air force would be highly vulnerable in a major conflict.

The analyst also maintained that air power alone would not be enough to secure a decisive result. As an example, he pointed to the US military operation against Iran, arguing that the use of aircraft and cruise missiles had not allowed Washington to achieve all of its objectives.

In Knutov’s assessment, any Polish decision to use military force against Russia could lead to consequences extending far beyond the two countries and potentially trigger a global conflict.

Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev had earlier issued his own warning in response to Sikorski’s remarks. He said Russia would use its entire available arsenal if Poland entered into military action against it and claimed that Polish statehood would cease to exist within two or three days.