“A weak US response increases the risk of war” – US newspaper calls for pressure on Putin

Poland and its allies are seeking a political and military response to the massive incursion of Russian drones into NATO territory. New President Karol Nawrocki has convened the Polish National Security Council today in Warsaw.

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The US newspaper "Wall Street Journal" commented on the massive incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace: "A direct confrontation between NATO and Russia would be a catastrophe for the world that no one wants. But a weak US response increases the risk of war. It is a direct security risk for the US that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin believes he can send drones into Poland, a US treaty partner where some 10,000 US troops are stationed.

On Wednesday, Trump mused on social media: 'What's with Russia violating Polish airspace with drones? Here we go!' A president who sounds like a gawker on the street isn't exactly encouraging. But Trump is ideologically extremely flexible, and his disgust at the human toll of the Ukraine war is clearly sincere.

The president knows what pressure he can put on Putin: more sanctions, more weapons for Ukraine and fewer restrictions on their use, and a strengthening of NATO's military power so that it is not caught off guard by Russia's advances. The drone parts now scattered throughout Poland carry an old message: weakness invites aggression."

Following the downing of Russian drones in Polish airspace, Poland has requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The South Korean UN mission, which holds the Council's presidency in September, announced that a date for the meeting is currently being agreed upon.

According to the Interior Ministry, the wreckage of 16 unmanned aerial vehicles had been found by this evening following the intrusion of Russian combat drones into Polish airspace. This was the status as of 8:00 p.m. local time, the ministry announced in Warsaw. The wreckage was found widely scattered across the country, several hundred kilometers from the eastern border. According to Prime Minister Tusk, a total of 19 drones entered the country's airspace.

These included a find near Korytnica, east of the capital, as reported by the PAP news agency. In Nowe Miasto on the Pilica River, southwest of Warsaw, a drone crashed close to a barracks of the Polish Territorial Defense Force, reported the radio station RMF24. Two more sites were later added in the central Polish Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. Other finds had previously been made in the Lublin Voivodeship in the east, as well as in the Łódź and Warmia-Masuria Voivodeships.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has spoken by phone with US President Donald Trump regarding the intrusion of Russian drones into Polish airspace. This was part of the consultations he had with allies, Nawrocki wrote on the X portal. "Today's talks confirmed the unity of the allies."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Western countries and the international community of inaction in the face of Russia's behavior. In his nightly video address on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said: "There have been more than enough statements, but so far, there has been a lack of action. The Russians are testing the limits of what is possible. They are testing the response. They are watching how the armed forces of NATO countries react."

Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he has spoken by phone with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He shares Tusk's assessment that the Russian drones did not accidentally enter Polish airspace. "We are and remain prepared for defense," Merz said. He added that Russian attacks are taking on a new dimension. He shares the Polish head of government's assessment "that this is a serious threat to peace throughout Europe."

According to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Poland has received concrete offers of assistance with air defense from its European allies. Tusk wrote on the X portal that he had spoken with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. There were more than just expressions of solidarity, Tusk explained. However, he did not provide details about the support offered.