Poland Rejects Trump’s Assessment of Drone Incursions, Bolsters Defense
recent Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace have prompted a strong response from Warsaw, including a direct rebuttal to former US President Donald Trump’s suggestion the incidents may have been accidental. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski emphatically stated on social media, “No, it was not a mistake,” following mr. Trump’s comments to reporters.
The incidents, which occurred early Wednesday, saw Poland scramble jets and shoot down at least three of over a dozen drones detected in its airspace. This marks the first time a NATO member has downed Russian drones sence russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While Moscow denies responsibility and claims no evidence links the drones to Russia, Poland maintains a firm stance.Mr. Sikorski highlighted the scale of the attacks, noting that alongside the 19 drones entering Polish airspace, 400 missiles flew over Ukraine on the same night, dismissing the possibility of error.
Poland is significantly increasing its investment in defense and security, already allocating close to 5% of its annual GDP to the sector. Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized the need to further invest in air and missile defense, focusing on both new system acquisitions and the growth of domestic technologies. Warsaw intends to utilize funds from the European defence investment programme (SAFE) to cooperate with Ukraine in modernizing Poland’s air defense capabilities.
The situation has fostered political unity within Poland, with President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Tusk displaying a united front at a national security meeting.Slawomir Cenckiewicz,Head of the country’s National Security Bureau,stated the drone incursions had “integrated the Polish political elite” and improved communication between key power centers.
Simultaneously occurring, Russia and belarus have commenced a five-day joint military exercise, ‘Zapad’ (“West”), near the borders of Poland and Lithuania. Previous ‘Zapad’ exercises have simulated attacks on western neighbors, with the last iteration taking place in 2021. In response, Poland has deployed up to 40,000 troops to its borders with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Mr. Sikorski is currently in Kyiv meeting with Ukrainian officials to discuss shared security concerns and Ukraine’s aspirations for EU and NATO membership. British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper is also in Ukraine for meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky. These visits occur amidst ongoing Russian bombardments in Ukraine’s Sumy region, which have resulted in at least two deaths and five injuries.
