Poland Treads Lightly with Russia Amid Fears Missile Hit Could Spark War
Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country was acting with calm after reports that a Russian-made missile struck near the Poland-Ukraine border killing two in an eastern Polish village.
In a report from the Associated Press (AP), Duda said Poland's officials did not know for sure who fired the missile, but that it "most probably" came from Russia.
"We are acting with calm," Duda said, according to the report. "This is a difficult situation."
Poland, as well as with officials from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has taken a cautious approach to the situation and has yet to state whether they believe the missile was a mistake or a deliberate attack by Russia. According to the Associated Press, NATO officials described the explosion as a "tragic accident."
This same missile strike comes as tensions between Russia and the West rise in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, described the strike as a "significant escalation in the conflict" and urged his allies to intervene.
Russia issued a statement via its state-run news agency TASS, calling reports of a Russian missile hitting Poland a "deliberate provocation."
"No targets near the Ukrainian-Polish border were struck by Russian armed forces," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The detonation on Tuesday also sparked fears of a third World War on Twitter, with users discussing the possibility of NATO getting involved in the Ukrainian conflict.
NATO currently consists of 30 nation-states, including Western forces such as the United States, and members have vocally supported Ukraine while also providing military aid and relief since Russia's invasion in late February.
Consequently, as the Associated Press pointed out, there are several possible explanations for the missile strike on Tuesday, including the possibility that Ukrainian forces diverted a missile during Russia's latest air raid, which caused widespread power outages across the country.
Army General Ben Hodges, who retired after commanding the U.S. Army in Europe, told Newsweek on Tuesday that he "doubts" the missile was launched on purpose by Russia.
"I don't think this was deliberate," Hodges said, noting that the Polish government "seem pretty measured" and "calm about it."
A Pentagon official reaffirmed the US commitment to its NATO allies while emphasizing that reports of Russian missiles hitting Poland are still being investigated.
On Tuesday afternoon, reports surfaced that Russian missiles had crossed into Poland, killing two people. At this time, it is unknown whether this was a deliberate or unintentional strike.
The incident has sparked international outrage, prompting many to wonder whether countries such as the United States, Poland's NATO ally, will respond.
President Joe Biden's comments about defending "every inch" of the country's NATO allies were reaffirmed by Patrick S. Ryder, press secretary for the Department of Defense (DOD).
"As I mentioned, we're looking into these reports, don't have any information to corroborate at this time, so I don't want to speculate or get into hypotheticals," Ryder began. "Regarding our security commitments and Article 5 [of NATO], we've been crystal clear that we will defend every inch of NATO territory."
NATO is a multi-government defense alliance founded in the aftermath of World War II that now has 30 member countries, including the United States, Canada, and 28 European countries.
Article 5 of NATO states that members agree to provide a military defense to other members, such as Poland if they are attacked by a non-member state.
Local Polish media outlets first reported missile strikes, claiming that an explosion in the town of Przewodów in the province of Lublin killed two people. Lublin is located in Eastern Poland, near the Ukrainian border.
The Polish National Defense Ministry told Newsweek that the country is "verifying and checking the information regarding the incident in Przewodów in the Lubelskie Voivodeship on the border with Ukraine."
A NATO spokesperson told Newsweek that the organization is keeping a close eye on the situation. As of late Tuesday afternoon, Poland had not moved to invoke NATO Article 5, which is required in order to receive assistance from allies.
Following the reported strikes, social media users began to express concern about the potential ramifications of NATO becoming involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Variations on the phrase "World War III" began to trend on Twitter alongside "Article 5."
Reporting by and all rights reserved for Newsweek, “U.S. Commits to Defending NATO After Report Russia Missiles Hit Poland”
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