Russian missiles in Poland: reaction from NATO and Ukraine

On the night of November 15 at the Polish-Ukrainian border, the irreparable was about to happen. Or maybe the inevitable? Two Russian-made missiles landed in Przewodow, a Polish village 12 km from the border with Ukraine. In fact, therefore, on NATO territory. The blast killed two people and coincided with one of the Russian military’s most massive attacks since the start of the war.

Putin’s army has resumed targeting cities such as kyiv and Lviv, located in the western part of Ukrainian territory furthest from the Russian border. As early as the G20, President Joe Biden intervened by declaring from the outset unlikely that the Russian-made missiles were fired from Moscow. A fact that seems to be confirmed today.

Born/Stoltenberg/OLIVIER HOSLET

First of all by NATO, where Stoltenberg declared this morning that “it was not Russia, but kyiv is not guilty: it is its right to defend itself”. Yet what happened not only tragically reminds us how simple a dramatic rush of events is today. But it has taught us how the geographical and political border that now separates NATO countries from Ukraine is getting thinner and thinner. It is clear that NATO does not want or seek war.

NATO and Biden’s reactions to the “incident” in Poland

Last night was probably one of the most tense moments of the war in Ukraine. For months we have seen ominous warnings from both sides, Russia and the United States, of the danger of World War III. And yesterday, that possibility was actually about to take shape. The “accident” or “error” concerning the fall of Russian missiles on Polish territory could have become fatal for the world balance. Where Poland could have invoked Art. 5 of the treaty which supports NATO and involves the countries of the Atlantic pact in the war. This is the dramatic risk that we face every day of the conflict. What all NATO countries obviously want to avoid, aware that an escalation as Albert Einstein predicted at the time “would be the last on the surface of the Earth”. Because, continues the famous aphorism, the neighbor would only fight with stones and sticks.

Biden/ANSA PHOTO

It is no coincidence that Stoltenberg pointed out that there was “no evidence that Russia is planning attacks against NATO allies”. Today, there is a hint of increased Russian openness to negotiations, and it is a possibility the world cannot rule out. Generally speaking, in fact, following the “incident”, a desire for prudence and relaxation prevailed on the part of the NATO countries. All the more reason after the missiles would have been of Russian manufacture, but probably shot down by Ukrainian anti-aircraft to defend the national territory from Russian bombardments.

Discordant reaction from Zelensky: “the missiles are Russian and represent a slap in the face at the G20”

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to the Russian missiles, defining them as “a slap in the face at the G20 underway in Bali”, and speaking of “a very significant escalation”. Hence the call: “we must act”. The adviser to the Ukrainian president, Mykhaylo Podolyak, later wrote that “the attacks on the territory of Poland are not an accident, but are deliberately planned by Russia and disguised as a ‘mistake'”. The Russian terrorist regime must be stopped.” So warm tones and diametrically opposed to this position of caution carried by the Western powers. And that should make us think.

Zelensky/ANSA PHOTO

President Biden was sure of the origin of the missiles from the first moments. Proceed by its declarations joined to those of NATO to the cooling of the escalation. While the reactions of the Ukrainian government seem to go in the opposite direction and try to provoke a reaction within the Atlantic Pact. Where is the truth at this point? Does the partial rapprochement between China and the United States for a comprehensive solution to the war in Ukraine worry Moscow or kyiv more? Does NATO’s intervention in the war benefit Moscow, which hopes for a desperate and suicidal extension of the conflict? Or is it in favor of kyiv which intends to militarily humiliate Russia and make it the main target of the whole West?