“There is a real risk that drones or other missiles could penetrate the territory of one or more countries on NATO’s eastern flank and even cause damage,” Tusk said. The official Russian narrative will then be that it was an accident and there is no reason for a reaction from the alliance.
The Polish prime minister expressed particular concern about the growing use of jet-powered drones. These fly higher and faster than previous models and are therefore more difficult to detect by air defenses. Tusk explained that his warnings were based on data from Polish, Ukrainian, American and NATO agencies.
By all accounts, late autumn and winter are expected to bring “the most critical moment in the current Russian-Ukrainian war,” Tusk said. Earlier that morning, Russian drones attacked near the Ukrainian border crossing with Poland at Yahodyn. This set off air raid sirens on the Polish side as well; fighter jets took to the air.
Meanwhile, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned of a possible NATO conflict with Russia. Fico, who has maintained warm relations with Russia, said that a drone incursion could trigger NATO’s mutual defense clause and that he wanted to prevent Slovakia from becoming part of an armed conflict. The same concern was raised by French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke of Russian hybrid attacks.
“I am not exaggerating; I am afraid of war and I want to talk about it with full seriousness. What is happening today in Europe, what we hear and see today, is that the military conflict in Ukraine has gotten out of control; the rules of military operations have ceased to apply. Attacks on civilian infrastructure have begun. I think we will witness major military operations on Ukrainian territory, but what scares me the most? It is the strength of the war rhetoric coming from Europe. The situation has never been so serious and tense. As for the possibility of a pan-European military conflict, I do not want Slovakia to be involved in any military conflict because of Article 5,” said Robert Fico, the Prime Minister of Slovakia.
“I want to emphasize that the nature of Russian aggression and its threats in Europe is changing. The drone attack on a passenger train coming from Kiev a few days ago; the attack or attempted attack on Leipzig airport, which failed and which German services attribute to the GRU; the launch of a flare near a Danish frigate; the violations of the airspace of several European countries; and the increase in hostile actions in most of our countries,” said Emmanuel Macron, president of France.
Macron, whose government faces protests and growing pressure over high fuel prices, was holding a meeting with the leaders of the various political parties represented in parliament to discuss the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as their consequences for the energy market.