Poland issued a stern warning to Russia this week amid escalating tensions following multiple airspace violations near NATO’s eastern border. At an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York on Monday, Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told Moscow not to expect any sympathy if Russian missiles or aircraft are shot down after crossing into NATO airspace, according to Politico.
“If another missile or aircraft enters our airspace without permission and is shot down, with debris falling on NATO territory, don’t come here complaining,” Sikorski declared, adding, “You have been warned.”
The warning came after a recent incident on Friday when three Russian jets intruded into Estonian airspace for about 12 minutes before being intercepted by Italian F-35 jets operating under NATO. Earlier in the month, Russia reportedly flew drones over Poland and Romania, prompting NATO to heighten its alert status.
Responding to the accusations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, accused Western nations of trying to “blame Russia for everything,” according to Euronews.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reinforced the country’s hardline position, stating at a Monday press conference that Warsaw would not hesitate to shoot down unauthorized aircraft over Polish territory “without discussion,” as reported by Politico. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sought to temper the firm stance, telling the Associated Press that each situation would be carefully evaluated based on the immediate threat posed by the aircraft.
Amid these repeated incursions, the European Union is considering new security measures. Seven EU member states plan to meet with the European Commission and Ukraine on Friday to explore the creation of a “drone wall” aimed at strengthening defenses along the bloc’s eastern border, Politico reports.