Russia allegedly attacked Europe amid the escalating war between the country and Ukraine, sparking fears that Russia’s war in Ukraine would escalate into a wider conflict.
On Tuesday, the Polish government announced that a Russian-made missile killed two of its people after it struck near the border with Ukraine.
The deadly blast in Poland also prompted the world leaders to hold an emergency meeting and gathered at the G20 summit in Bali in an attempt to diffuse a potential escalation.
Following the meeting with G7 and NATO leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit, US President Joe Biden declared that the initial information suggested that the incident was not a deliberate Russian attack.
The Western leaders also reportedly suggested that the explosion was most likely an accident which was caused by Ukrainian air defense.
The Russian missile screw-up that ended up killing two Poles will result in NATO invoking article 4 not article 5 (see below). The consultation will probably result in more support for Ukraine, particularly air and anti-air power. Will give Poland some real influence. pic.twitter.com/n92JHvFqGv
— Phillips P. OBrien (@PhillipsPOBrien) November 15, 2022
“We agreed to support Poland’s investigation into the explosion … And I’m going to make sure we figure out exactly what happened. Then we’re going to collectively determine our next step as we investigate and proceed. There was total unanimity among the folks at the table,” Biden said.
Moreover, a NATO military official also claimed that the missile had reportedly been tracked by an alliance aircraft flying above Polish airspace at the time of the blast.
“Intel with the radar tracks [of the missile] was provided to NATO and Poland,” the NATO military official said but did not reveal who launched the missile, or where it was fired from.
In a statement on Wednesday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte blasted pointed fingers at Russia and claimed that “the missile strike within Poland’s borders would not have happened without Russia’s horrific missile attacks against Ukraine.”
“The G7 and present NATO members convened a meeting this morning in Bali during the G20 to discuss the incident in Poland last night. We are united in our message that we first need to establish the facts and therefore support Poland’s investigation,” Rutte added.
Last Tuesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda revealed that while it was not clear who launched the missile. However, he added that it was “most likely” made in Russia.
“We are working calmly and in a very calm manner,” Duda added.
