Trump’s silence, Orban’s “re-shoeing”, Zelensky’s decisive offer: the world reacts to Russia’s escalation in Poland
10 September 20:15
On Wednesday, September 10, at 00:50 Kyiv time, the first Russian drone crossed the border between Ukraine and Poland in the airspace. According to information provided by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, it could have been about two dozen UAVs that attacked the neighboring country.
At least two Russian drones that flew into Poland during the night used Belarusian airspace. In total, at least several dozen Russian drones were flying along the Ukraine-Belarus border and in the western regions of Ukraine, approaching targets in Ukraine and, apparently, Poland.
Russia has already issued an excuse: they launched UAVs at “military targets” in Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, and Lviv. There was no attempt to violate Polish airspace, and this would have required long-range drones, which Russia allegedly did not use.
[Kommersant analyzed how the civilized world reacted to Russia’s attack on Poland.
From Finland to France: how world leaders reacted to Russia’s violation of Polish airspace
Despite the fact that on September 10, France was engulfed in powerful anti-presidential protests, the country’s leader Emmanuel Macron found the time and opportunity to respond to the incident in Poland.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the flight of Russian drones into Poland and call on Russia to stop its reckless escalation,” the French leader said.
President of the European Council Antonio Costa also spoke about the escalation in Polish airspace.
“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and reckless intrusions into the airspace of EU member states pose a direct threat to the security of all Europeans and critical infrastructure on our continent,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also reacted to Poland’s drone attack . She wrote on social networking site X that the Russians continue to violate international law and make a mockery of global diplomacy.
Europe fully supports Ukraine and will continue to support it. We are strengthening Ukraine’s Armed Forces, creating long-term security guarantees and increasing sanctions to put more pressure on Russia. The killings must stop,” the politician wrote on social media.
The Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Dick Schoff, also expressed his support for official Warsaw.
I am glad that Dutch F-35 fighters were able to provide support. The Netherlands stands shoulder to shoulder with its NATO ally Poland,” the official said.
In his turn, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda spoke harshly about the incident in Poland with Russian drones.
Europe must draw conclusions from Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and actively prepare for defense. At the same time, the security of the EU’s eastern borders should remain a priority. The world has to stop the aggressor,” the President emphasized.
President of Finland Alexander Stubb said that the security of the whole of Europe is under threat and that Russia is “seeking escalation.”
His statement also came amid threats to the country from the Kremlin. A few days earlier, Russian General Kartapolov said that “Finland is becoming a hotbed of Nazism faster than Ukraine”. He explicitly stated that Russia would “protect” its interests in this country.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed his solidarity with Poland and offered cooperation to his Polish counterpart.
“The violation of Polish airspace is a serious incident that could have far-reaching consequences, and therefore it is extremely important to objectively determine whether it was intentional or accidental, and who controlled the drones,” the Slovak Prime Minister said.
Even Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban , known in diplomatic and political circles for his pro-Russian statements, reacted to the situation.
According to him, the violation of Poland’s territorial integrity is unacceptable and that it is time to put an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
This incident proves that our policy of calling for peace is reasonable and rational. Living in the shadow of war is fraught with risks and dangers. It is time to put an end to it,” Orban said.
By the way, in response, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski rebutted Orban and wrote that the incident proves that Hungary should “stop taking a neutral position and condemn Russian aggression.”
It is worth noting that US President Donald Trump, unlike Ukrainian and European politicians, reacted to the incident in Polish airspace with a delay. The American leader has not yet made any official statements, but he did post a message on Truth Social.
“What’s going on with Russia violating Polish airspace with drones? It’s starting,” Trump wrote.
How NATO representatives reacted to Moscow’s escalation
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker expressed support for the allies.
“We stand with our allies and will defend every inch of NATO territory,” he said.
Russia launches a swarm of drones in Poland: what Ukraine says
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that incidents with one or two Russian drones had occurred before in the countries on NATO’s eastern flank, including a few weeks ago in Romania.
But this time, there was a much larger number of Russian drones, much more brazenness – the drones flew in from the territory of not only Ukraine but also Belarus. And we all equally understand that this is a completely different level of escalation on the part of Russia. There must be an appropriate response,” the Ukrainian leader emphasized.
Zelenskyy explained that there are several reasons for Russia’s defiant behavior, and they are absolutely obvious to everyone. Therefore, Ukraine and its allies should work on a joint air defense system and create an effective air shield over Europe.
Ukraine has been proposing this for a long time, and we have concrete solutions. We must respond to all current challenges together and be prepared for potential threats to all Europeans in the future. We also need to significantly increase funding for the production of interceptor drones. They have already proven their effectiveness,” the Head of State emphasized.
Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Poland Vasyl Bodnar commented on the attack on Poland by Russian drones on the night of September 10:
“Back in the security agreement signed in 2024, the Ukrainian side proposed to shoot down targets heading towards Poland on the territory of Ukraine. It would be cheaper and safer.
The diplomat added that official Warsaw is already thinking about such a proposal.
“This was announced today by Deputy Prime Minister Sikorski, who had a conversation with our Minister Andriy Sybiga. This topic is also relevant for us, and now it has become relevant for Poland,” Bodnar said.
He added that from the first minute the drones crossed the border, Ukraine kept in touch with Poland online. This allowed for an adequate response from the Polish side.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga emphasized that the time for condemnation has already passed and it is time to act in response to Russia’s attack on Poland.
“Our position is that it is time to finally make this decision, and it will help, among other things, to protect our common European space, our security space. We have been talking about this with our neighbors – with Romania, with Poland and other neighbors whose territories have already recorded similar incidents: either falling debris or violations of airspace,” Sybiga said in a conversation with Ukrainian journalists.
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For his part, Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Deshchytsia noted that after the Russian UAV attack, Poland began to take a more pragmatic and realistic view of the threat from the Kremlin.
For the first time, Poland has begun to shoot down military objects that enter the country’s airspace, although similar incidents have been occurring for more than a year. This situation is a threat to Poland’s national security. Therefore, this may be a signal to the Polish authorities to unite,” said Deshchytsia.
He also emphasized that the attack on Poland is a test for NATO and European countries to see how they are ready to respond to Russia’s provocations. It is also a test for US President Donald Trump.
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