U.s. Says It Will Defend 'every Inch' Of Nato Territory After Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones

The United States vowed Friday to take sides “every inch of NATO territory,” aft a number of suspected Russian drones entered Polish airspace during an onslaught connected Ukraine.

Tensions person been precocious crossed Europe arsenic leaders condemned nan airspace usurpation connected Wednesday — a first since Moscow’s full-scale penetration of its neighbour successful February 2022 — arsenic nan latest motion of escalation from nan Kremlin, which has rebuffed President Donald Trump’s bid to agent bid talks.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was “the closest we person been to unfastened conflict since World War II,” but Moscow downplayed nan incident, saying it had “no plans to target” accommodation successful Poland.

Trump said Thursday that Russia’s alleged drone incursion into Poland could person been a mistake, but his acting U.S. ambassador to nan United Nations, Dorothy Shea, appeared to effort to reassure Washington’s NATO friends connected Friday pursuing Trump’s remarks.

Violating nan airspace of a U.S. ally, “intentionally aliases otherwise,” showed “immense disrespect for good-faith U.S. efforts to bring an extremity to this conflict,” she told nan U.N. Security Council.

“The United States stands by our NATO friends successful nan look of these alarming airspace violations,” she said. “And remainder assured, we will take sides each inch of NATO territory.”

Poland and nan U.S. are members of NATO, which astatine its halfway is simply a communal defense pact formed aft World War II to reside nan threat posed by nan Soviet Union, meaning an onslaught connected 1 whitethorn beryllium considered an onslaught connected all.

NATO connected Friday launched Operation “Eastern Sentry” to bolster nan defense of Europe’s eastbound flank successful consequence to nan strikes, which saw nan drones changeable down pinch nan thief of NATO allies.

“We must, arsenic NATO, make clear our resoluteness and our expertise to take sides our territory, and that is precisely what Eastern Sentry is designed to do,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told a news convention astatine nan organization’s office successful Brussels.

Rutte made nan announcement opinionated beside NATO’s apical commander, U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, who said subject activity would commence successful nan coming days, involving “a scope of assets from friends including Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Germany and others.”

Rutte said NATO was still weighing nan imaginable intent down nan alleged incursion but called nan action “reckless and unacceptable,” whether intentional aliases not.

NATO already has important assets successful Eastern Europe, including thousands of troops.

It did not specify really galore further troops would beryllium progressive successful nan caller operation.

Moscow has intensified its bombing of Ukrainian cities and infrastructure since Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a peace acme successful Alaska astir a period ago.

European friends person said these large-scale aerial assaults bespeak that Putin has nary liking successful bringing nan warfare successful Ukraine to a close.