‘Here we go!’ Trump calls out Putin as Europe urges action over Russian drone incursion

6 days ago 9

London: US President Donald Trump has responded to an extraordinary Russian incursion into Polish territory by warning that it was “violating” airspace, as key Republicans urged him to impose harsher sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.

Trump sent the message as European leaders met to consider stronger air defences after Polish authorities revealed that 19 Russian drones had entered the country’s airspace, many more than first thought.

But there were no statements on imminent sanctions or military responses to the drone incursions despite a warning from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that his country was the closest to conflict it had been since World War II.

Trump did not announce new measures against Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, after considering more drastic economic sanctions and tariff measures in recent weeks.

“What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” the US president posed on social media.

The remark drew quick approval from one of Trump’s key Republican allies, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, who has gained support in Congress for tariffs of up to 500 per cent on Russia and its allies – a move the president is yet to support.

Republican senator Lindsey Graham is one of Donald Trump’s key allies.

“Mr President, Congress is with you. We stand ready to pass legislation authorising bone-crushing new sanctions and tariffs that can be deployed at your discretion,” Graham wrote in reply to Trump.

“Our goal is to empower you as you deal with this mounting threat.”

European leaders have stepped up their warnings about Russian aggression in recent weeks, in a series of statements hoping for greater American action against Putin, and the interception of the drones over Poland intensified their messages.

Polish officials said that 19 Russian drones had entered the country’s airspace and that 16 wrecks had been found, so far, across the country.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki spoke to Trump by phone and said the talks “confirmed allied unity” on the violation of its airspace.

While Poland has called the event an act of aggression, it has not invoked Article 5 of the NATO pact, which requires member states to come to the assistance of a fellow signatory if it is attacked.

Instead, Poland invoked Article 4 of the NATO agreement, which says that member states will consult when one is threatened.

NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Tusk.

Zelensky described the drone flights into Poland as a more “brazen” example of something he said had been happening elsewhere along NATO’s collective border with Russia.

“Incidents with one or two Russian drones had already happened before in NATO’s eastern flank countries, including a few weeks ago in Romania,” he said on X.

“But this time the number of Russian drones was much larger, the brazenness much greater – the drones entered not only from Ukrainian territory but also from Belarus.

“And we all equally understand that this is a completely different level of escalation from Russia. There must be an appropriate response.”

Zelensky said this meant that Western powers should work on stronger air defence.

“We need to work on a joint air defence system and create an effective air shield over Europe,” he said.

“Ukraine has long proposed this, and we have concrete solutions.” He did not specify the solution, although the Ukrainian government has long argued for NATO measures that would create a no-fly zone and “close the sky” against Russian missiles and drones over Ukraine – something NATO members have chosen not to do out of fear of escalating the war with Russia.

Tusk said the meeting canvassed “proposals for concrete support for the air defence of our country”, but he did not elaborate.

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