Russian drone incursions into Poland’s airspace have sparked
the most serious security crisis in Eastern Europe in decades. In the early
hours of Wednesday, Poland’s military reported shooting down “a dozen or so”
drones after they crossed from Ukraine’s border region, forcing Warsaw Airport
to close temporarily. Later in the day, officials confirmed two more drones
were found on Polish soil, bringing the total to 14.
Before a scheduled phone call with Polish President Karol
Nawrocki, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly questioned Moscow’s actions,
posting: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here
we go!” Nawrocki later said the conversation with Trump was part of a
series of urgent consultations with allies and that it reaffirmed “allied
unity.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the incident the
most serious provocation since World War II and said Poland had formally
requested urgent NATO consultations under Article 4. NATO Secretary-General
Mark Rutte and European leaders condemned Russia’s behavior, while U.S.
Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stressed that Washington will defend “every
inch” of NATO territory.
Russia’s Defense Ministry insisted it had not targeted
Poland but did not directly deny the drones crossed the border. Poland’s Deputy
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski accused the Kremlin of
“deliberately targeting” Poland and spreading “lies and denials,” adding that
Russia was “mocking President Trump’s peace efforts.” He vowed that Poland, the
EU and NATO would stand with Ukraine and resist any attempt to rebuild
“Europe’s last empire.”
This escalation highlights the growing risk of spillover
from the war in Ukraine into NATO territory. With Article 4 consultations now
underway, European security analysts warn that deliberate drone incursions
could push the region closer to open conflict, testing the credibility of
NATO’s collective defense.
Comments
Post a Comment