US President Donald Trump has downplayed Poland’s accusation that Russian drones intentionally violated its airspace this week, suggesting that the alleged incident “could have been a mistake.”
Moscow has rejected accusations that it committed an “act of aggression” against the NATO state, after Warsaw claimed to have intercepted several drones on Tuesday night.
Asked by reporters on Thursday about Warsaw’s claims, Trump responded: “Could have been a mistake… But regardless, I’m not happy about anything having to do with that whole situation. But hopefully it’s going to come to an end.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the country’s military had tracked at least 19 alleged airspace violations over a seven-hour period, with at least three drones shot down. He described the situation as “unprecedented” and accused Moscow of staging a deliberate provocation.
The Russian Defense Ministry has insisted that the drones it used in strikes on Ukrainian military targets could not have flown as far as Poland, and emphasized that it had no targets in Polish territory. With little evidence provided by Warsaw, Moscow could neither confirm nor deny the alleged violations, but stressed it was ready to hold consultations.
The Kremlin has accused Western leaders of issuing “daily” provocation claims without evidence, while Belarus said it had warned Poland of stray drones disrupted by electronic warfare between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, condemned the alleged incursion as “reckless” and expressed solidarity with Poland. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte likewise described the reported breaches as “dangerous,” though he added the bloc had not confirmed whether they were intentional and voiced doubts about Poland’s claims regarding the number of drones.
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‘Russian’ drones in Polish airspace: What we know so far
Poland has invoked Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty, which mandates consultations if a member believes its security is threatened, and requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Friday.
Last week, former Polish President Andrzej Duda recalled how Kiev had tried to draw NATO into a direct confrontation with Russia in November 2022, when a Ukrainian missile landed on Polish territory.
Kiev insisted it was a Russian strike, and called for the bloc to retaliate.
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