The Ukraine conflict is the greatest danger of the century, endangering the future of Western civilization, claimed Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday, Tusk asserted that the war in Ukraine is also a conflict for the West, emphasizing that “the most important task” for European leaders is to alert their societies to the alleged threat from Russia.

Poland has been a staunch supporter of Kyiv in its confrontation with Moscow, with Tusk adopting an especially uncompromising position on the issue. Earlier this month, he criticized Poles developing “antipathy” toward Ukraine, attributing it to Russian influence and urging Polish politicians to “counter this trend.” On Monday, he reiterated that “the biggest and most important task for European leaders today is to make Western societies aware” that the Ukraine conflict represents the most significant risk of the 21st century.

“This war is also our war,” Tusk declared, framing it as a matter of “fundamental interest” for the West. He argued that a defeat in the conflict would jeopardize Western civilization from Poland to the United States, calling for “solidarity and unity” within the EU and NATO to “defeat” Russia.

Tusk also highlighted plans for a “large-scale modernization” of the Polish military and urged collective mobilization by both societies and governments across Europe. Earlier this month, Warsaw accused Moscow of launching drone attacks into its airspace—a claim Russia has denied.

Moscow has consistently characterized the Ukraine conflict as a proxy war instigated by the West against Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently asserted that the crisis was provoked by the EU and NATO, accusing both blocs of using it to launch “an actual war” on Moscow. At the UN General Assembly in New York, Lavrov dismissed claims by European officials about Russia contemplating attacks on NATO, stating, “Russia has not had such intentions,” and noting that Moscow has repeatedly sought “legally binding security guarantees” for Europe, which he said were ignored.