1. The question of survival for Ukraine and Poland is not a choice, but a given reality. Russian rhetoric toward Poland today completely mirrors that which preceded the full-scale aggression against Ukraine: denial of statehood, shifting responsibility, preparing the ground for violence.2. Russian leaders openly speak about their intentions. The words of Zakharova or Medvedev are not propaganda noise, but political signals. Putin spoke the same way about Ukraine before 2022.3. The illusion of absolute NATO and U.S. protection no longer works."In current U.S. strategic documents, Russia is not defined as a key threat — instead, there is talk of "strategic balance," which in practice means readiness for the division of spheres of influence in Europe."4. The logic of the "big three" — the U.S., Russia, China — lies in dividing the world and weakening Europe. A strong, united Europe is not beneficial to any of the global players; each of them is interested in fragmented, weak states that are easier to manipulate.5. Authoritarian leaders within the EU are part of this strategy. Orbán's example shows how weak democracy becomes a convenient tool of external influence. This is exactly the kind of Europe that both Moscow and part of the American political establishment would like to see.6. Central and Eastern Europe is a high-risk zone. Russia openly claims this region as its own sphere of influence, and "Trump's America" is ready to turn a blind eye to this for business considerations and global balance.7. NATO is weakening in fact, not declaratively. Incidents with Russian drones on Polish territory, the absence of a strong reaction from allies — these are markers of a crisis in the collective security system.8. The Visegrád Group is no longer a pillar of regional security. The real force in Central and Eastern Europe remains Poland — the 20th economy in the world, a state with the potential for G20 membership and key responsibility for the region.9. Europe is not ready to fight. It does not have sufficient funding, armament, and combat-ready armies here and now. Real EU defense plans are calculated for 2027–2030 — and therefore, Putin has a "window of opportunity."10. It is precisely this window that the Ukrainian army is closing today. The actual guarantor of European security is the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which are holding back Russia at the cost of their own losses, buying time for the West.11. The key struggle is being waged around resources for Ukraine. U.S.-Russia negotiations come down to one thing: preventing Ukraine from receiving European funds and reparation resources to strengthen its army and state. Both Russia and China oppose this.12. Europe's future depends on the Ukrainian-Polish alliance. The only realistic security scenario is close cooperation between Ukraine and Poland, support for Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO, and a common political position.13. As long as Ukraine stands — Poland and Europe have security. This is not a gesture of solidarity, but a convergence of strategic interests. Everything else is a subject for further agreements.SourceAbout the author. Mykola Kniazhytskyi, journalist, Ukrainian lawmaker.The editorial board does not always share the opinions expressed by blog or column authors.