Poland rejects Trump claim that Russian drone strike could be a mistake

 

Poland has directly contradicted U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Russian drones which entered its airspace this week may have strayed there by mistake. On Wednesday, Polish forces, backed by NATO aircraft, shot down drones that had crossed the border, marking the first time a NATO member has fired in Russia’s war on Ukraine. Russia insisted it had only been targeting Ukraine, but Trump told reporters in Washington the incursion “could have been a mistake.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk dismissed that claim, posting on X: “We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn’t. And we know it.” His government has described the incident as a deliberate act by Moscow designed to test NATO’s ability to respond. Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk reinforced that message, saying: “There’s no question of a mistake – this was a deliberate Russian attack.”

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The incident has sparked strong condemnation across Europe. Germany has extended air policing missions over Poland, while France announced it would deploy Rafale fighter jets to support NATO’s eastern flank. The UN Security Council was due to meet at Poland’s request, and NATO leaders scheduled a briefing to address the crisis.

The drone incident has sharpened concerns about NATO’s preparedness against unmanned aerial attacks and raised questions about Europe’s air security. European leaders argue it is further proof that Moscow is uninterested in any peace settlement, coming just weeks after Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and softened U.S. demands for an immediate ceasefire.

European officials, increasingly uneasy about Washington’s stance, have been in the U.S. this week to coordinate sanctions. However, unlike in the past, new measures have not been announced jointly with the Trump administration. EU states did agree to extend existing sanctions, maintaining travel bans and asset freezes on individuals and companies tied to the invasion. Japan also lowered its price cap on Russian crude oil in response to the ongoing war.

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Meanwhile, Russia has pressed ahead with fresh attacks on Ukraine, killing three people in Sumy. Ukrainian forces retaliated with drone strikes on the Russian port of Primorsk, igniting a ship and a fuel pumping station. At the same time, Russia and Belarus began large-scale joint military exercises across land and sea, moves that Moscow insists are routine but which European officials view as provocative. France, Germany, and other NATO members have pledged to reinforce air defence on the alliance’s eastern border.