Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened in Indonesia by President Joe Biden after he said Poland was investigating after what he called a Russian-made missile struck Indonesian territory on Tuesday, killing two people. I attended an emergency meeting of G7 and NATO leaders.
Trudeau, who is with leaders in Bali for the G20 summit, tweeted that he was briefed on the latest developments and sent his heartfelt condolences to the people of Poland.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the leaders said they “condemned the barbaric missile attacks carried out by Russia on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure.”
“We have discussed the explosion in eastern Poland near the border with Ukraine. We fully support and assist the ongoing Polish investigation,” read the statement.
“As the investigation progresses, we agree to remain in close contact to determine appropriate next steps.”
After an emergency meeting, Mr Biden told reporters that it was “unlikely” that the missile was launched from Russia, but that “there was a complete consensus among those at the table” to support an investigation into the Polish attack. “There was unanimous agreement,” he said.
Three U.S. officials said a preliminary assessment suggested missiles were fired by Ukrainian forces toward approaching Russian forces amid a massive salvo against Ukraine’s power infrastructure on Tuesday. said there is. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Leaders reaffirm their firm support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the face of ongoing Russian aggression and “continue preparations to hold Russia accountable for brazen attacks against Ukrainian communities.” I reconfirmed.
Poland’s foreign minister summoned the Russian ambassador on Tuesday and “demanded immediate clarification,” in a statement released shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the missile strike as a “very serious escalation”. It was confirmed.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said the missile was “probably” Russian-made, but the information was still being verified and officials did not know who launched it, qualifying the official’s statement.
Still, the country’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said the government was conducting an investigation and stepping up military preparations, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called an emergency meeting of the military alliance’s special envoys to discuss the incident. was convened.
The NATO alliance was formed as a check against the Soviet Union after World War II and now has 30 members spread across North America and Europe.
The cornerstone of its founding treaty, Article 5, stipulates that an “armed attack” against one member state constitutes an attack against all, and may provoke a self-defense response from the bloc allies.
Whether Tuesday’s event falls into that category, or the possibility of falling under Article 4, which provides that if a Member State feels its security or independence is threatened, it can convene consultations with other Member States. It is unknown whether there is
Defense Minister Anita Anand said on Tuesday that Canada was monitoring the situation. “I have received updates on this report and am in very close contact with our Polish allies at the moment. said on the way to the House of Commons.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said in French that she and other officials were in touch with allies, although she did not have any specific comments.
However, conservative defense commentator James Bezhan explicitly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the deaths in Poland. “We express our deepest condolences for the loss of a citizen by the Polish and Ukrainian people,” he said.
The Russian Defense Ministry denied launching an attack near the Ukrainian-Polish border and accused Polish media and officials of deliberately escalating the situation.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday, citing two sources, including a U.S. intelligence official, that a Russian missile hit the Ukrainian power grid and crossed Polish territory during a massive barrage that cut off power in much of Moldova. It was reported that
Polish media reported that two people were killed after a projectile hit an area where grain was drying in Przewodów, a village near the border with Ukraine, on Tuesday afternoon.
The Polish statement did not mention the specific circumstances of the attack. This includes whether it could have been an aiming error or whether the missile may have been veered off course by Ukrainian missile defenses.
The event raised concerns that the ongoing war in Ukraine could spill over into Eastern Europe, sparking a wider conflict between Russia and NATO, which has been supporting Ukraine with money and arms rather than armed forces. heightened.
In a statement, Stoltenberg spoke with Duda about the “explosion” in Poland.
But Stoltenberg also said the alliance is monitoring the situation and that while all allies are in close consultation with each other, “it is important that all the facts are established.”
Biden spoke with both Stoltenberg and Duda on Tuesday after waking up in the middle of the night in Indonesia.
The transcript of the call with Duda, released by the White House, said Biden “provided his full support and assistance to the Polish investigation” of what it called an “explosion.”
“President Biden reaffirmed America’s firm commitment to NATO,” the readout said. “The two leaders said they and their teams should stay in close contact to determine appropriate next steps as the investigation progresses.”
“We don’t want to preempt hypotheses,” said Vedant Patel, a deputy spokesman for the US State Department, on Tuesday. “We still don’t know what happened.”
Zelensky was quick to accuse Russia of firing missiles at Poland and called on NATO allies to step up their support for their country.
“Terrorism is not limited to our borders. Russian missiles hit Poland,” Zelensky wrote in a message posted on social media site Telegram, in Ukrainian.
“Launching a missile into NATO territory is a Russian missile attack on collective security! This is a very important escalation. We must act.”
Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks also blamed Russia for being home to a 2,000-strong NATO force led by 700 Canadian troops.
“Russian criminal regime launched a missile that landed not only on civilians in Ukraine, but also on NATO territory in Poland,” Public said on Twitter. “Latvia fully cooperates with our Polish friends and condemns this crime.”
There are also 40 Polish Canadian military engineers training the Ukrainian army.
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