President Donald Trump issued his initial response to Russia’s drone incursion into Poland, which the country’s military and European leaders condemned as “unprecedented.”
“Why is Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? “Here we go!” Trump posted on his social media platform on Wednesday.
At least 19 Russian drones violated Polish airspace overnight, according to the prime minister. NATO responded to the Russian action by deploying two Polish F-16s and two Dutch F-35s to shoot them down.
It was the first time in the alliance’s history that fighters engaged potential targets in allied airspace, according to Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, a spokesperson for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.
Trump spoke with Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday afternoon, “regarding the repeated violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones, which occurred last night,” according to a post on X.
“The conversation is part of a series of consultations I am conducting with our allies,” he said. “Today’s talks confirmed allied unity.”
The Polish Interior Ministry said police, border guards, and firefighters were “on constant alert.”
The interior ministry reported that debris from 16 drones had been found in several Polish towns.
During a bilateral meeting with Nawrocki at the White House last week, Trump promised to assist Poland in its self-defense.
“We’re with Poland all the way,” Trump declared at the time.
During a news conference on Wednesday, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski slammed Trump, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin “laughs” at his peace efforts.
“Putin laughs at President Trump’s peace efforts,” Sikorski said. “Since Alaska, he has only escalated the conflict. I hope [Trump] backs up his words with action.
In response to the overnight incursion, Matthew Whitaker, the United States Ambassador to NATO, posted a brief message on X: “We stand by our NATO Allies in the face of these airspace violations and will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
