Trump offers explanation for Poland’s drone incident

The UAVs could have been disabled and were falling “all over the place,” the US president has said

The drones that violated Poland’s airspace could have been “disabled” and lost control, US President Donald Trump has suggested.

Warsaw has claimed that 19 drones entered the country’s airspace on September 10, accusing Moscow of staging a provocation in order to test NATO’s response. Multiple EU officials, including top diplomat Kaja Kallas, have called the incident a “deliberate violation.” 

Trump was asked about the affair in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. The US president refused to say whether the drone incursion was deliberate or not, suggesting the drones could have simply strayed after being subjected to electronic interference.

“You know, I can’t comment on whether it was a mistake or not. They shouldn’t have been there, let’s face it. Supposedly, they were disabled. You know, they disabled drones today. The great attack on a drone is disabling it, and they fall all over the place,” Trump stated, adding that he was very “disappointed” by the incident.

The latest of Trump’s remarks on the incident differed from the statements he’d made earlier this week, when the US president suggested it “could have been a mistake.” 

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Drone attack claims meant to derail Ukraine peace talks – Moscow

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk doubled down on his accusations against Russia shortly after, insisting the incident wasn’t a mistake. On Friday, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that anyone who doubts Warsaw’s narrative is “either the author or an accomplice of Russian propaganda.”

Russian officials have pointed out that drones used during strikes on military installations in Ukraine do not have sufficient range to reach deep into Poland, suggesting the incident could have been a false flag staged by Kiev in a bid to bring NATO into a direct confrontation with Moscow.

Warsaw has refused to cooperate in investigating the drone incident and has dismissed facts provided by the Russian military, Moscow’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday. Such behavior proves that Poland is not interested in knowing the truth, she said. 

“This is clearly yet another element in a large-scale information campaign aimed at demonizing Russia and mobilizing additional support for the Kiev regime, as well as an attempt to undermine a political settlement of the Ukraine conflict,” Zakharova stated.