Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that Russia could attack a NATO member within months and openly questioned whether the United States would honour its mutual defence commitment in the event of such an attack, Financial Times reported on April 24.

Tusk's intervention comes amid reports that the Pentagon had drawn up options for the US to punish European allies that US President Donald Trump believed had failed to support the war on Iran. The options included suspending Spain from NATO and reviewing US support for the UK's claim over the Falkland Islands, Reuters reported, citing an internal Pentagon email.

Tusk told the newspaper in an interview in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, that Europe's "biggest, most important question is if the United States is ready to be as loyal as it is described in our NATO treaties."

"For the whole eastern flank, my neighbours, the question is if NATO is still an organisation ready, politically and also logistically, to react, for example against Russia if they try to attack," Tusk said.

"This is something really serious. I'm talking about short-term perspectives, rather months than years," the Polish leader said in reference to a potential Russian attack. "For us, it's really important to know that everyone will treat the NATO obligations as seriously as Poland."

Tusk said his remarks should not be treated as scepticism towards Article 5 of the NATO treaty, covering mutual defence, but as hopes that "guarantees on paper will change into something very practical."

Tusk cited an incident last year in which around 20 Russian drones violated Polish airspace, saying some NATO allies had been reluctant to treat it as an attack. The alliance eventually scrambled fighter jets that shot down some of the drones, marking the first direct confrontation between NATO and Russian assets since 2022.

"I had some problems during the night in September when we had this pretty massive drone provocation made by the Russians," Tusk said. "It wasn't easy for me to convince our partners in NATO that it wasn't a random incident, it was a well-planned and prepared provocation against Poland."

"For some of our colleagues, it was much easier to pretend that nothing happened," he added. "This is why I want to be certain that if something happened, that Russia knows the reaction will be tough and unequivocal."

Poland is the biggest NATO spender by share of GDP, already meeting the alliance's 5% target, and one of Europe's most staunchly pro-transatlantic countries.

The Polish leader's remarks were made on the sidelines of an EU summit in Cyprus, addressing the bloc's own mutual defence clause, Article 42.7 of the EU treaty, in response to Trump's threats to withdraw from NATO and ambiguous language on honouring Article 5. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the bloc should bring Article 42.7 "to life" this spring.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow has no intention of attacking NATO or interfering in its internal affairs. Putin told municipal officials on April 21 that Russia knew how the war in Ukraine would end but would not make public statements on the outcome.