Poland Rejects Trump's 'Mistake' Claim on Drone Incursion, Calls it 'Deliberate Russian Attack'

Poland Rejects Trump's 'Mistake' Claim on Drone Incursion

Poland on Friday flatly rejected US President Donald Trump's suggestion that a drone incursion into its airspace might have been a mistake, describing it as a 'deliberate Russian attack.'

Poland earlier said it shot down a drone that violated its airspace on Wednesday with the support of NATO ally planes, the first time a member of the Western military alliance has fired weapons during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

European leaders have strongly condemned the drone incursion and called for new sanctions on Russia. At Poland’s request, the United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss the incident.

Russia said its forces were attacking targets in Ukraine at the time and had no intention of striking any targets inside Polish territory. 'It might be a mistake,' Trump told reporters in Washington on Thursday.

'No Mistake About It'

'We would also like the drone attack on Poland to be a mistake, but it is not, we know that,' Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded on X.

Poland is one of the United States’ closest allies in Europe and has been praised by the Trump administration for spending on defense as a percentage of its economy, the largest of all NATO allies, including the U.S. For that leader to so directly and publicly rebut Trump is almost unheard of, and also a sign of European wariness about the U.S. president’s willingness to take Moscow at its word.

'I think this should be a message to President Trump today: there is no question this is not a mistake, this is a deliberate Russian attack,' Polish Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk said.

Poland has portrayed the drone incursion as an attempt by Russia to test Poland and NATO’s response capabilities. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski was visiting Kyiv on Friday.

Questions Over European Defence Capabilities

The incident has raised questions about NATO’s preparedness for drone attacks and the safety of its civilian air transport. European leaders suggested the incident was the latest proof that Moscow has no interest in a peace deal with Ukraine, just weeks after Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and withdrew a demand that Russia accept an immediate cease-fire.

France’s outgoing foreign minister said he would summon the Russian ambassador on Friday, and Britain announced a new set of Russia-related sanctions.

Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Moscow to agree to a cease-fire or face new sanctions but ultimately walked back the threats.

European officials have been in Washington this week hoping to coordinate with the U.S. government on sanctions against Russia. A coordinated announcement of such sanctions used to be standard practice but has not occurred since Trump returned to the White House.

France said on Thursday it would deploy three Rafale fighter jets to help Poland protect its airspace, and Germany also said it would step up its commitment to NATO’s eastern border. Japan said it had decided to lower its price cap on Russian crude oil to punish Russia.

Russia and its close ally Belarus on Friday began pre-planned joint military exercises, with drills taking place in both countries as well as in the Baltic and Barents seas.

Russia has also continued to launch attacks on Ukraine, killing three people in the Sumy region of northern Ukraine, according to local officials.

A Ukrainian drone attacked the port of Primorsk in northwestern Russia, setting fire to a ship and a pumping station, according to the regional governor. It was the first time a drone attack has been reported on one of the country’s largest oil and fuel export terminals.

Expert Analysis: It's important to understand the broader implications of this event. While not providing investment advice, we can observe that escalating tensions in Eastern Europe often lead to increased volatility in global markets, particularly in sectors like energy and defense. Investors and policymakers alike will be closely monitoring the situation and its potential impact on international relations and trade.