‘Sick Man With a Gun’: Polish FM Warns ‘Desperate’ Putin Could Take Dangerous Risks

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has warned that mounting economic and military pressure on Russia could make President Vladimir Putin increasingly dangerous, saying Moscow should end its “criminal misadventure” in Ukraine “before it’s too late.” “The Russian economy is beginning to suffer. Russians can’t pretend that it’s an external, special military operation anymore,” Sikorski said in an interview with TVP World’s On the Record program on Tuesday.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. But Sikorski cautioned against interpreting Russia’s growing difficulties as meaning the threat from Moscow is disappearing. “A sick man with a gun is still a man with a gun,” he said. “That’s why we are spending so much money on defense, in order to convince Putin that any conflict with Poland would cost him even more dearly than his criminal war with Ukraine.” The Polish foreign minister said Putin’s “desperate” situation could push him to do “something risky,” as speculation grows over whether Moscow could seek to escalate the war before possible negotiations. Could Russia expand the war beyond Ukraine? Asked about warnings that Russia could eventually expand the conflict further west, Sikorski acknowledged the debate over whether some of those fears have become exaggerated. But he made clear that Warsaw cannot afford to assume Putin will behave rationally. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Marks Olenivka Anniversary, Confirms 9,613 Prisoners of War Freed Zelensky honored Olenivka victims and confirmed thousands of war prisoners still remain in Russian captivity. “If Putin does something irresponsible, like the invasion of Ukraine, we will respond – definitely, ourselves,” Sikorski said. “His capabilities are clearly less than we had thought, but his intent is even worse.” That assessment, he suggested, is based partly on what the war has revealed about the limits of Russian military power compared with expectations before the full-scale invasion. At the same time, Sikorski argued that Putin’s intentions have proven more aggressive than many Western governments anticipated. “He clearly doesn’t have a realistic picture of the geopolitical situation and his prospects,” Sikorski said. He described Putin as “clearly misinformed,” arguing that a Russian leader with an accurate understanding of Moscow’s situation would have greater reason to seek a deal. “The question is whether Putin is ready for a deal,” Sikorski said. Escalate before de-escalating? Sikorski was also asked about the possibility that Russia could intensify the war precisely as preparations for eventual negotiations accelerate – effectively attempting to escalate before de-escalating. The discussion also turned to the risk of further Russian escalation, including broader use of North Korean troops and a possible new mobilization drive after Russia’s September elections. Sikorski said North Korean forces are already part of Moscow’s war effort under the military treaty between Russia and North Korea. He noted that the Kremlin claims the Ukrainian territories it occupies as Russian territory – a position Moscow could use to justify deploying North Korean troops there under the agreement. “That’s a very nasty example of collaboration between two authoritarian countries,” Sikorski said, questioning what Pyongyang is receiving in return for the losses suffered by North Korean personnel. He also challenged the assumption that another Russian draft would automatically strengthen Moscow’s forces. Conscripts, he argued, are fundamentally different from contract soldiers who voluntarily sign up to fight, making a new mobilization potentially more politically and militarily risky for the Kremlin. For Warsaw, the larger concern is therefore not simply whether Moscow has enough military capacity for another major escalation, but whether a Russian leadership under increasing pressure could nevertheless decide to take a dangerous gamble. Sikorski said the possibility that Putin “may be desperate and may do something risky” should not be dismissed. Russia weaker than feared, but still dangerous The comments underline an apparent paradox in Poland’s assessment of Russia after more than four years of full-scale war. Moscow has failed to demonstrate the level of conventional military power many Western governments feared before February 2022. But for countries on NATO’s eastern flank, that does not automatically translate into greater security. Instead, an economically strained Russia facing continued Ukrainian resistance and growing pressure on its energy sector could become less predictable. Sikorski’s warning comes as Poland continues to invest heavily in its armed forces and deterrence against Russia, with Warsaw portraying those expenditures as necessary to ensure that Moscow understands the cost of any confrontation with a NATO member. Sikorski welcomes shift in Washington Sikorski also pointed to what he sees as an encouraging shift in Washington’s approach to the war. “The fact the US has now recognized that Ukraine has cards and made extraordinarily successful efforts to level the playing field is a good sign,” he said. His comments came as Zelensky visited Washington on Tuesday for the funeral of late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Ukraine’s most vocal supporters in Congress. Zelensky also held a private meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, where the two discussed efforts to revive negotiations with Russia and Ukraine’s push for an agreement allowing it to produce Patriot missile interceptors domestically. ‘Honor’ Graham with Russia sanctions Sikorski specifically called on Trump to follow the change in rhetoric with stronger economic measures against Moscow. He said he hoped Trump would “honor” Graham by finally adopting additional sanctions against Russia. The US Senate on Tuesday was preparing to begin consideration of a bipartisan Russia sanctions package that Graham had spent his final days trying to advance. The legislation is aimed particularly at reducing the energy revenues that continue to finance Moscow’s war. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.