US vows to defend 'every inch' of NATO territory after Russian drone incursion into Poland
The United States told the United Nations Security Council on Sept. 12 that it would defend "every inch of NATO territory" following a Russian drone incursion into Poland—marking the first known instance of a NATO country shooting down Russian drones during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"The United States stands by our NATO allies in the face of these alarming airspace violations," said acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea, addressing the 15-member Security Council.
Her remarks appeared aimed at reassuring allies after U.S. President Donald Trump drew criticism for suggesting the incursion "could’ve been a mistake."
Shea added that Russia had escalated its bombing campaign in Ukraine since Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15. "These actions, now with the addition of violating the airspace of a U.S. ally – intentionally or otherwise – show immense disrespect for good-faith U.S. efforts to bring an end to this conflict," she said.
Poland earlier confirmed that it had shot down Russian drones over its territory with support from NATO aircraft. Warsaw described the incident as a deliberate violation of its sovereignty.
"We know, and I repeat, we know that it was not a mistake," said Polish Secretary of State Marcin Bosacki during the session, displaying photos of the wreckage and pointing to Russian markings on the drone. "Poland will not be intimidated."
Slovenia’s U.N. Ambassador Samuel Zbogar also pushed back against the idea that the violation was accidental. "It is hard to imagine that so many drones flew so deep over Polish territory, unintentionally," he told the council.
Russian Ambassador to the U.N. Vassily Nebenzia rejected the accusations, insisting that Russian forces had been targeting Ukraine at the time and had no intention of striking Polish territory. “There were no targets marked on Polish territory,” he said. “The maximum range of the drones used in this strike did not exceed 700 kilometers, which makes it physically impossible for them to have reached Polish territory.”
Nebenzia added that Moscow was open to dialogue if Warsaw was “indeed interested in reducing tensions rather than fomenting tensions.”
Ahead of the Security Council meeting, Bosacki read a joint statement signed by 43 countries, including the U.S., which condemned the drone incursion and accused Russia of violating international law and the U.N. Charter. The statement called on Moscow to halt “its war of aggression against Ukraine” and refrain from further provocations.
