US vows to defend Nato territory after suspected Russian drone incursion in Poland

UNITED NATIONS, United States – The United States told the United Nations Security Council on Sept 12 it would “defend every inch of Nato territory”, after a suspected Russian incursion into Poland.

“The United States stands by our Nato allies in the face of these alarming airspace violations,” acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea told the 15-member body.

The remarks appear aimed at assuaging Washington’s Nato allies after US President Donald Trump on Sept 11 said

Russia’s alleged drone incursion into Poland

could have been a mistake.

Ms Shea also noted Russia has intensified its bombing campaign against Ukraine since Mr Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska as part of his bid to broker an end to Moscow’s more than three-year war in Ukraine.

“These actions, now with the addition of violating the airspace of a US ally – intentionally or otherwise – show immense disrespect for good-faith US efforts to bring an end to this conflict,” Mr Shea said.

Poland shot down drones in its airspace on Sept 10 with the backing of aircraft from its Nato allies, the first time a member of the Western military alliance is known to have fired shots during Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Slovenia’s UN Ambassador Samuel Zbogar told the Security Council: “They are aggressive and dangerous acts, as it is hard to imagine that so many drones flew so deep over Polish territory, unintentionally.”

Russia has said its forces had been attacking Ukraine at the time of the drone incursions and that it had not intended to hit targets in Poland.

“There were no targets marked on Polish territory,” Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council. “The maximum range of the drones used in this strike did not exceed 700km, which makes it physically impossible for them to have reached Polish territory.”

He said Moscow was willing to speak with Poland “if the Polish side indeed is interested in reducing tensions rather than fomenting tensions”.

The US also joined Western allies in a joint statement on Sept 12 to express concern about Russia’s drone incursion, and accuse Moscow of violating international law and the founding UN Charter.

The statement, read by Poland’s Secretary of State Marcin Bosacki ahead of the Security Council meeting, also called on Russia to stop “its war of aggression against Ukraine” and desist from further provocations.

The joint statement was backed by 43 countries. REUTERS