President Donald Trump on Wednesday weighed in on Russia's "violation" of Poland's airspace the day before, giving a cryptic "here we go!" on social media.
At least 19 drones launched from Russia and Belarus entered Polish airspace on Tuesday, leading to Poland scrambling fighter jets and activating air defenses, which Prime Minister Donald Tusk said was the closest Europe has come to open conflict since World War II.
"What's with Russia violating Poland's airspace with drones? Here we go!" Trump said in a post to Truth Social on Wednesday.
Poland invoked Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, initiating consultations with the alliance. EU and NATO leaders denounced the intrusion as deliberate, with Poland calling it "an act of aggression."
Poland's military command said radars had tracked more than 10 objects and those that could pose a threat were "neutralized." By morning, it said operations had concluded. Poland said some of the drones came from Belarus, where Russian and Belarusian troops have begun gathering for war games scheduled to start Friday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been briefed about the incident.
Early indications suggested the entry of Russian drones into European airspace was intentional, not accidental, the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Wednesday.
"Russia's war is escalating, not ending. We must raise the cost on Moscow, strengthen support for Ukraine, and invest in Europe's defense. The EU plays a major role and we will support initiatives like the Eastern Border Shield defense line," Kallas wrote in a post on X.
Information from Reuters and the Associated Press were used in this report. Newsmax wires contributed to this report.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.