President Donald Trump said incursions by Russian drones into Polish airspace "could have been a mistake" but added he was "not happy" about the incident that NATO and European leaders condemned as a dangerous escalation.
Multiple drones crossed from Ukrainian airspace into Poland on Wednesday, triggering immediate alarm among NATO members and allied governments and drawing urgent consultations about military responses and airspace security.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said: "It could have been a mistake, but regardless I'm not happy about anything having to do with that whole situation." European leaders described the incursion as a deliberate provocation that deepened fears the three-year war in Ukraine could spill beyond its borders. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer discussed the episode with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and called the pattern of Russian actions "systematically" escalating aggression.
The foreign ministers of Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania issued a joint statement calling the incident "a deliberate and coordinated strike constituting an unprecedented provocation and escalation of tension." The Kremlin referred reporters to a Wednesday statement from Russia's Defense Ministry, which said Russian forces had not targeted Poland and that Moscow was open to discussing the matter with Polish officials.
Germany said it would extend and expand air policing over Poland. Poland praised a rapid response by its own forces and NATO allies, including Dutch units that aided in intercept and recovery operations, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed troops at an air base in Łask, praising their swift action and pledging a "great modernization program" for the Polish military.
Poland announced air traffic restrictions in the eastern part of the country at the request of its armed forces and said some of the drones that entered its airspace had come via neighboring Belarus, where Russian and local troops were gathering for military exercises scheduled to begin Friday. Warsaw also said it would close its border with Belarus at midnight in connection with those exercises.
The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on the drone incursions at Poland's request for Friday afternoon. NATO officials and European diplomats said the incident will force renewed assessments of alliance air defenses, rules of engagement and intelligence-sharing amid continued efforts by the United States and partners to advance a negotiated settlement to hostilities in Ukraine, efforts that officials acknowledged have so far failed to gain traction.
Senior Polish military leaders, including Chief of the General Staff Wieslaw Kukula, convened an extraordinary meeting with top officials to review the incident and response. Polish authorities released images showing at least one downed drone and damage to civilian property after a device struck a residential building; there were no immediate national casualty figures available from authorities.
Allies emphasized the need for measured, coordinated responses. While European capitals faulted Moscow's actions, officials refrained from public calls for unilateral strikes and instead focused on bolstering NATO air policing, diplomatic pressure and urgent consultations. The incident revived concerns among Western leaders that tactical actions around the Ukraine front line can have strategic consequences for the alliance and regional security.