The Hill's Morning Report (on Russia/Poland/Ukraine/Europe), Sept 12; via email
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© The Associated Press | Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik |
GRADUAL ESCALATION: Trump on Thursday brushed off concerns about the Russian drones passing into NATO member Poland’s airspace earlier this week, saying the drone incursion could have been a possible mistake. “Could have been a mistake. Could have been a mistake,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House for New York City. “But regardless, I’m not happy about anything having to do with that whole situation. But hopefully it’s going to come to an end.” His comments came as the Kremlin on Thursday dismissed the drones passing into Polish airspace as nothing new. Ukrainian and European officials told The New York Times Russian President Vladimir Putin has become emboldened to escalate his war in Ukraine by a lack of Western pushback. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Friday strongly rebuked Trump’s assessment, writing on social media that “we would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn’t. And we know it.” European countries are discussing how to shoulder the main burden of supporting Ukraine, as Trump scales back U.S. assistance. But instead of a direct attack, Russia has crossed Western red lines gradually, gauging responses as it goes and maintaining some deniability. “Russian drones flying into Poland during the massive attack on Ukraine show that Putin’s sense of impunity keeps growing,” Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said in a statement. “He was not properly punished for his previous crimes.”
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