Prime Minister vows support as Warsaw shoots down Putin’s drones in first NATO engagement since Ukraine invasion
The UK stands ready to deploy additional boots on the ground to bolster NATO’s eastern frontier, Sir Keir Starmer has vowed following Vladimir Putin’s unprecedented drone attack on Poland.
The staunch commitment came after Russian drones violated Polish airspace on Wednesday, with NATO jets shooting them down in the alliance’s first direct engagement with Moscow’s forces since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The incident prompted Poland to trigger Article 4 consultations.
Following calls with European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday, Sir Keir confirmed the UK “stood ready to support any further NATO deployments to the region” as the alliance vowed to defend “every inch” of allied territory.
‘Egregious and Unprecedented Violation’
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister began by condemning the outrageous violation of Poland’s airspace. This highlighted Russia’s increased recklessness in recent weeks, including their attacks on the Cabinet of Ministers building, British Council and EU Delegation buildings in Kyiv.
Sir Keir branded the incursion an “egregious and unprecedented violation” of NATO airspace and proof of Putin’s “blatant disregard for peace.” He confirmed he had spoken to Polish PM Donald Tusk to express Britain’s support, adding: “My sincere thanks go to the NATO and Polish forces who rapidly responded to protect the Alliance.”
The Prime Minister stated that Russia was “continuing to ramp up its aggression” through a “campaign of increasingly belligerent actions,” citing devastating strikes on Ukraine’s Council of Ministers and attacks on diplomatic missions in Kyiv.
Healey: ‘We Will Stand Firm’
Defence Secretary John Healey condemned Russia’s “reckless, dangerous and unprecedented” escalation after meeting with E5 defence officials from Germany, France and Italy in London. Poland’s defence minister was diverted from the meeting by the unfolding crisis.
Following our discussions today, I’ve asked our UK Armed Forces to look at options to bolster NATO’s air defence over Poland,” Healey announced. “We will do what we can as part of NATO, as part of a collective response that Poland has asked for from us, its NATO allies.”
The UK already maintains around 300 troops in Poland as part of regular air policing missions, and Healey vowed to “do what we can” to make that presence more robust, potentially increasing the number of boots on the ground in the eastern European nation.
“Russia’s actions are reckless, they’re dangerous, they’re unprecedented. We see what Putin is doing. Yet again he is testing us. Yet again we will stand firm,” Healey declared.
Poland’s Closest Call Since WW2
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said 19 Russian drones sailed across the border amid an onslaught against western Ukraine, taking his country to the “closest to conflict since WW2.
Four drones were shot down by NATO fighter jets – understood to be from Poland, Italy, the Netherlands and the US – whilst officials later confirmed seven had been found on the ground. One struck a residential building in the village of Wyryki, though no casualties were reported.
Polish officials believe the drones were on a “direct path” to a NATO military supply hub for Ukraine, according to reports. High-ranking NATO officers suggested the incursion was intentional, with Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski stating: “The assessment of Polish and NATO air forces is that they did not veer off course, but were deliberately targeted.”
Poland Modernises Military
Polish Prime Minister Tusk vowed to modernise his country’s already $35billion-strong military following Russia’s “deliberate” drone invasion. In an address to troops at an air base in the central city of Łask, he confirmed Poland is due to receive its first F-35 fighter jets from the US next year – the first delivery of 32 aircraft expected by 2030.
“We will do everything to ensure that our allied obligations, which are so important from our point of view today, are fulfilled by our allies,” Tusk stated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the swooping drones a “test” by Russia to see how NATO allies would respond, describing it as an “extremely dangerous precedent for Europe.”
“A strong response is needed and it can only be a joint response by all partners: Ukraine, Poland, all Europeans, the United States,” Zelensky said.
NATO Invokes Article 4
NATO chief Mark Rutte confirmed the Security Council met on Thursday morning to discuss Poland’s request for Article 4 consultations. Article 4 is a clause in NATO’s founding treaty which states all allies must come together when the security or territory of one is threatened.
“Allies are resolved to defend every inch of allied territory,” Rutte stated, whilst condemning Russia’s “absolutely reckless” and “absolutely dangerous” behaviour.
No10 confirmed RAF jets played no part in the NATO emergency response to the Russian drones, as Britain’s six Typhoons were rotated out of Poland in July. However, a Downing Street spokesman said the UK stood “ready to support in the usual way.”
Kremlin Denies Evidence
Kremlin spokespeople have denied there is any evidence the drones were Russian, even outrageously implying they had been launched by Kyiv. However, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius dismissed such suggestions, stating: “These drones were quite obviously deliberately directed on this course—in order to fly into Ukraine.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called it “the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began, and indications suggest it was intentional, not accidental.”
The incident marks a significant escalation in tensions between NATO and Russia, with the alliance demonstrating its readiness to defend member states whilst seeking to avoid direct confrontation with Moscow. As the UK considers bolstering its military presence in Poland, the crisis underscores the volatile security situation on NATO’s eastern frontier.
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Image Credit:
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Arlington National Cemetery (11 July 2024) — photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery, public domain (U.S. federal government work)
