Poland demolished drones in his airspace this Wednesday with the support of military aircraft of his NATO allies. This is the first time that a member of the Western Military Alliance has shot during the Russian War in Ukraine.
The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, declared before Parliament that it was “as close as we have been from an open conflict since World War II”, although he also said that “he had no reason to believe that we are on the edge of the war.”
Moscow denied the responsibility of the incident, and a high diplomat in Poland said the drones came from Ukraine.
The European leaders, who lately tried to persuade the US president, Donald Trump, to join them in the hardening of sanctions against Russia and the increase in support for kyiv, said this justified a collective response. There was no immediate response from Washington.
Poland said that 19 objects had entered their airspace during a large Russian air attack against Ukraine and that they had demolished those that represented a threat. Tusk described the “large -scale provocation” incident and claimed to have activated article four of the NATO Treaty, according to which the members of the Alliance may demand consultations with their allies.
A spokesman said that the NATO chief, Mark Rutte, was in contact with Polish leaders and that the alliance maintained close consultations with Poland.
A source said that NATO was not considering the incident as an attack, but as an intentional incursion. F-16 Polacos combat aircraft, F-35 Dutch, Italian Awacs surveillance aircraft and flight replacement aircraft operated together by NATO participated in the night operation, the source said.
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Andrey Ordash, in charge of Business of Russia in Poland, was summoned by the State News Agency RIA, who described the accusations of incursion of “unfounded” and said that Poland had not presented any proof that the demolished drones were of Russian origin. The Kremlin declined to make direct comments on the demolition of the drones, but spokesman Dmitri Peskov declared:
“EU and NATO leaders accuse Russia of daily provocations. Most of the time, without even trying to present some kind of argument.”
During the incident, the operational command of the Polish Armed Forces urged residents to stay at home, since three regions of the east ran special risk.
Several Poles airports were temporarily closed, including one that was used as the main access point for Western officials and supplies that travel to Ukraine by land.
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“The Russian war is intensifying, not ending. We must increase the cost for Moscow, strengthen the support of Ukraine and invest in the defense of Europe,” said the head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas.
The first indications suggested that the entrance of Russian drones into the European airspace was intentional, non -accidental, added in its publication in X.
The Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, said that Russia used 415 drones and 40 missiles in attacks against Ukraine during the night, and added that at least eight Iranian -made Shahed drones pointed to Poland.
“An extremely dangerous precedent for Europe,” he said. “A strong response is needed, and it can only be a joint response of all partners: Ukraine, Poland, all Europeans, United States.”
Russia has been stating that it has no intention of enviving a war with NATO and that Western European countries that hint as a threat try to worsen relations.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, requested more sanctions against Russia and said that the EU was preparing sanctions against the oil tankers of the “shadow fleet” that transport their oil and against third countries that buy it.
Trump, who welcomed Putin in Alaska during a summit in August, said the weekend to be ready to move on to a second phase of sanctions against Russia after months of negotiations for a peace agreement.
This was its clearest indication to the date that it could intensify the pressure on Moscow or its oil buyers in response to the Russian war in Ukraine.
The main responsible for sanctions of the European Union was in Washington this week to discuss the possibility of coordinated sanctions. If adopted, it would be the first time that the United States and Europe take coordinated measures against Russia since Trump returned to office in January, promising to end the war in 24 hours.
With Reuters information
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