The incidental with Russian drones that breached Poland's airspace this week sparked a stir among European leaders and raised serious concerns about the escalation of the conflict beyond NATO's east border. For many of the Alliance's associate States, this was a informing signal that could announce further provocations from Moscow.
Meanwhile, U.S. president Donald Trump decided to cool off the mood, identifying the full event as a possible error.
"It may have been a mistake," he told reporters before leaving the White home for fresh York.
"But regardless, I am not satisfied with anything that has to do with this full situation. I hope this will be over soon.”
His words fell the day after an enigmatic entry on the fact Social platform, where he commented:
"What about Russia's breach of Poland's airspace? Here we go!”
This message was rapidly picked up by the media, but did not contain any circumstantial political declarations or announcements of action.
The Russian army says that it is ready to talk to Poland about the “doubtless” intrusion of drones," said the AFP agency. Previously, Russian representatives stressed that “there is no evidence that they have been unmanned in Poland”.
Trump, who has in the past declared that as president he would be able to "in 24 hours" bring an end to the war in Ukraine, has consistently tried to set himself up as a possible peace negotiator. He met with Vladimir Putin in August in Alaska, but since then Russia has intensified attacks on Ukrainian military and civilian targets. At the same time, the Kremlin rejected all Trump's proposals to organise a tripartite gathering with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenski.
In the light of current events, European concerns are besides growing. Both the leaders of Poland and the Baltic States are increasingly speaking about the request for real support from the US, not just verbal support. For them, the drone incidental is not just a method anomaly, but a part of a broader strategy to test Western opposition limits. In this context, Trump's words can be seen as insufficiently decisive. Although the erstwhile president himself does not support the open military engagement of the U.S. in Ukraine, he was expected to have a stronger stance against the overt violation of allies' borders.
“I hope this is all over soon. I hope so," he said at the end of his statement.
However, in present global realities, hope without a clear strategy, diplomatic offensive or deterrents may not be adequate to halt further NATO loyalty and effectiveness tests. For Poland and another countries of the region, this incidental is not only an episode, but a announcement that the threat can decision much closer to home.
