Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk hold up copies of a mutual defense agreement, July 8, 2024

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EA on TVP World: Ukraine — Will US Support Europe Over Sanctions on Russia?

Tuesday’s Coverage: US-Europe Meeting on Sanctions v. Russia

UPDATE 1639 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has posted after conversations with European leaders:

We need to work on a joint air defense system and create an effective air shield over Europe. Ukraine has long proposed this, and we have concrete solutions. We must respond together to all current challenges and be ready for potential threats to all Europeans in the future. Likewise, we need to significantly increase joint funding for the production of interceptor drones. They have already proven their effectiveness.

He commented after speaking with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen:

UPDATE 1635 GMT:

Donald Trump has responded cryptically to the Russian drone incursion into Poland: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!”

UPDATE 1620 GMT:

UK Defence Secretary John Healey has said, “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.”

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said of “unprecedented” attack “not only on the territory of Poland, but also on NATO and the EU”:

When one or two drones does it, it is possible that it was a technical malfunction, but as I told you, in this case, there were 19 breaches, and it simply defies imagination that could be accidental.

The Polish Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian charge d’affaires and handed him a protest note. The diplomat refused to acknowledge the drones were Russian.

Sikorski emphasized:

We need to create what [European Commission President] Ursula von Leyen called…a drone wall.

This is a threat, not only to Poland.

This new technology of the mass use of drones is a threat to all of the EU and Nato, and we need to face it together.

He chided Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of Vladimir Putin:

The incident proves you should get off the fence and condemn Russian aggression.

We ask you to unblock the disbursement of EU funds for defense, approve tougher sanctions on the aggressor and withdraw your veto on starting Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.

Orbán said the Russian drone incursion was “unacceptable”, but the incident had reaffirmed his view that “our policy of calling for peace…is reasonable and rational”.

UPDATE 1608 GMT:

The Russian Defense Ministry insists that it did not target Polish sites as its drone overflew Poland.

“There were no intentions to engage any targets on the territory of Poland,” the Ministry said. “We are ready to hold consultations on this subject with the Polish Defense Ministry.”

UPDATE 1148 GMT:

Donald Trump has said the European Union must impose tariffs of up to 100% on India and China to put pressure on Russia.

Sources said Trump issued the command during Tuesday’s meeting between the EU’s sanctions envoy David O’Sullivan and Administration officials.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright indicated on Sunday and Monday that the US might tighten sanctions if the EU acted first.

The Administration has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, partly on the pretext of India’s purchases of Russian oil. It is in negotiations with China about tarief levels.

UPDATE 1100 GMT:

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has refused to comment on Russia’s drone flight over Poland, saying this is a matter for The Defense Ministry.

UPDATE 1037 GMT:

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has told Parliament that there were 19 recorded violations of airspace by Russian drones from 11:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.

The downing of three drones has been confirmed, and a fourth is believed to have been brought down.

One drone flew up to 300 (186 miles) inside Polish territory before crashing in a field near Mniszków. Another was found in Czosnówka, around 50 km (31 miles) from the Polish-Belarusian border.

Tusk and President Karol Nawrocki have invoke NATO’s Article 4 for immediate consultation.

“There is no reason to claim that we are in a state of war.…but the situation is significantly more dangerous than all previous ones,” he said. The prospect of a large military conflict is “closer than at any time since World War II”.

UPDATE 1025 GMT;

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has assured:

Ukraine is ready to provide Poland with all the necessary data available regarding this Russian strike. Ukraine is also ready to help Poland build an effective system of warning and protection against such Russian threats. It is clear that Russian aggression poses a danger to every independent nation in our region, and therefore only joint and coordinated action can guarantee reliable security.

Zelensky pointed to the significance of a joint response by NATO members to the Russian drones, calling for the same for Ukraine.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala added:

The night-time Russian drone attack, which also struck Polish territory, is a test of the defence capabilities of Nato countries. It is hard to believe that this was a mere coincidence.

Putin’s regime threatens all of Europe and systematically probes how far it can go.

UPDATE 1006 GMT:

European Union Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius saus the bloc must develop a “drone wall” along ita eastern flank.

“Once again Russia tests frontier states, EU and NATO,” Kubilius posted, “We shall work together with member states, frontier countries and Ukraine. Russia will be stopped.”

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský echoed the need for bolstered air defensies:

Russia’s reckless drone incursions into Polish drone are yet another proof that Moscow’s war against Ukraine threatens us all.

UPDATE 0939 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia’s attacks, with some drones over Poland, are “another step of escalation” and “an extremely dangerous precedent for Europe”.

Zelensky said at least eight drones had targeted Poland out of an overnight total of about 415 drones and more than 40 missiles.

Russia attacked 15 Ukrainian regions. One person was killed by shelling of Zhytomyr.

Zelensky sumamrized;

An extremely dangerous precedent for Europe. Whether there will be further steps depends entirely on the coordination and strength of the response.

The Russians must feel the consequences. Russia must feel that the war cannot be expanded and will have to be ended.

The pause in sanctions has gone on far too long. Delaying restrictions on Russia and its accomplices only means increasing the brutality of the strikes.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Poland and its NATO allies have downed Russian drones over Polish airspace.

The scrambling of the air defenses was the first direct involvement by NATO members in Russia’s 42 1/2-month full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Polish military denounced the “act of [Russian] aggression”. President Karol Nawrocki chaired an emergency meeting of the National Security Bureau, and Prime Minister Donald Tusk has been in “constant contact” with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The Polish military command said radars tracked more than 10 objects. A damaged drone was recovered in the village of Czosnówka in eastern Poland, around 40 km (25 miles) from the border with Belarus.

Four airports were closed for several hours, including Poland’s largest, Chopin in Warsaw. Those in Lublin in the east and Rzeszów, a key logistics and arms transfer hub in the southeast, were also shut.

Italian, Dutch, and US air defense assets were involved in the operations. Italy’s contribution was a G-550 plane — used for long-range electronic warfare and jamming of enemy communications, radar, and navigation systems — which took off from Estonia.

Poland had announced on Tuesday that it would close its border with Belarus because of the “very aggressive” military exercises, Zapad, by Russia and its Belarusian ally and increasing provocations from the two countries.

This morning the Polish army introduced reduced time for reporting for duty, with troops in some areas on six-hour notice and some on 12.

Around 8.7 million residents in eastern Poland have been told to shelter in place.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha responded:

This situation shows that finally the decision needs to be taken to enable partner air defense capabilities in neighbouring countries to be used to intercept drones and missiles in the Ukrainian air space, including those approaching NATO borders….

This is also a call for partners to urgently strengthen Ukraine’s air defense and better protect against a growing number of Russian drones and missiles attacking us on the regular basis.

Furthermore, sanctions must be ramped up without delay.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys, posted that Vilnius “stands in full solidarity” with Poland.