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NATO leaders agree to take stock of military response amid rising Russia-Ukraine conflict

Iran Press TV

Thursday, 11 September 2025 8:25 PM

European leaders have vowed to take stock of their military response and capabilities after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that Russian drones violated Polish airspace "in an act of aggression."

The incident has deepened concerns among NATO leaders, fueling longstanding fears that the conflict between Poland's neighbors could trigger a wider war after US-led efforts to push Moscow and Kiev toward peace have stalled.

"Last night we experienced a violation of Polish airspace by a significant number of Russian drones," Tusk said on Wednesday, adding that the Polish military used weapons against the "invading objects."

He also noted that an "operation related to multiple violations of Polish airspace is underway," claiming the "large-scale provocation" was aimed at both the European Union and NATO member states.

Russia's Defense Ministry stated on Wednesday that it had "no intentions to engage any targets on the territory of Poland" and expressed willingness to hold consultations with the Polish counterparts.

At Poland's request, the UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for Friday afternoon.

On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the issue, unanimously describing the incident as a "deliberate provocation."

The British Prime Minister's office said it "was clear that Russia was continuing to ramp up its aggression, systematically stepping up its attacks through a campaign of increasingly belligerent actions." The German government announced it will "extend and expand air policing over Poland."

NATO's supreme commander in Europe, US Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said the alliance was uncertain about the number of drones or whether they were fired intentionally. "But we will learn lessons. We will learn of things that we need to enhance our posture, to handle these limited incursions," he said in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania issued a joint statement calling the incursion "a deliberate and coordinated strike constituting an unprecedented provocation and escalation of tension."

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who met with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev, said the incident has blurred "the line between war and peace." He added, "We now live in an age of uncertainty."

The Polish Ministry of Defense confirmed Wednesday that F-35 fighters from the Royal Netherlands Air Force were deployed to protect Polish airspace.

Polish Prime Minister Tusk praised the quick response from Polish troops and NATO allies from the Netherlands during a visit to an air base in Lask on Thursday. He pledged to push ahead with a "great modernization program" for Poland's military. However, the response raised questions about the wisdom of using advanced fighter jets to shoot down relatively cheap drones.

The Dutch government also summoned Russia's ambassador to the Netherlands over the matter, Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel announced.

Poland expects to receive its first F-35 fighter jets from the US next year. Tusk said this will be the first of 32 aircraft expected by 2030, as part of a support package finalized five years ago.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki visited a military air base in Poznan-Krzesiny, saying Poland "doesn't get scared by Russian drones." He described the incursion as "an attempt to test our abilities, the ability to react."

Poland is closing its border with Belarus at midnight, claiming some drones came from Belarus. China urged Poland to keep open a section of the Belarus border for a China-EU freight route, part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

The European Council on Foreign Relations said, "Russia is testing Europe's resolve." "Inconsistency between words and deeds seems to have eroded Europe's credibility in Russia's eyes," it said in an analysis published Thursday.

The US president, who has been urging NATO members to increase military spending, reacted to the incident on Wednesday, saying, "What's with Russia violating Poland's airspace with drones? Here we go!" He told the Polish president during a White House visit last week that the US will maintain a robust military presence in Poland.