The Polish prime minister has said the country is preparing for “several” scenarios and that the coming months could be “critical” in relation to the threat from Russia.

Donald Tusk was responding to media reports that Moscow was planning an armed “provocation” in Poland to test NATO’s resolve, citing US intelligence.

“I don’t want to scare anyone, but the next few months could be really critical, also due to the changing nature of the war. These concerns are particularly palpable in the Baltic States,” Tusk told reporters on Friday.

Polish media outlet Onet reported that sources close to President Karol Nawrocki had said the United States had issued several warnings to Warsaw about a plot to attack the country.

The White House and the US State Department did not respond to BBC requests for comment.

According to the alleged plans, also published by the UK’s Telegraph on Friday, Polish infrastructure could be attacked by missiles or drones, or soldiers could be sent to the NATO state.

Reports suggest the goal would be to pressure Ukraine’s Western allies to suspend aid to the country as it continues to fight Russia’s full-scale invasion, launched in 2022.

Asked about the information, Tusk stated: “Let’s not be afraid, we are preparing for various situations, but we cannot ignore them… We are aware of the threats, also thanks to the information from our allies.”

Polish President Nawrocki will attend a NATO summit with leaders of other members of the defense alliance in Türkiye next week.

Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said the meeting will show that Europeans are heeding US President Donald Trump’s long-standing calls to increase their defense spending, while leaders are also expected to commit to continuing arms funding for Ukraine.

Tusk told the Financial Times in April that Russia could attack a NATO member state within “months.”

In late June, his deputy prime minister, Radek Sikorski, told CBS News that he would not rule out a Russian “false flag” operation in the next two years to justify an attack on a NATO state.

The Baltic states have previously acknowledged concerns about their vulnerability to a Russian attack. Latvian media reported in June that its intelligence services had warned that Moscow was planning military provocations in the region or in Poland.

Lithuania’s ambassador to NATO said Thursday that Russia was more likely to resort to hybrid warfare, such as missile or drone raids, than a conventional military attack, according to the country’s public broadcaster LRT.

NATO Article 5 states that an armed attack against one member will be considered an attack against all, so they will come to mutual defense.