On Tuesday, two people lost their lives after an explosion in the village of Przewodow near the Polish border with Ukraine. Poland's law enforcement are verifying several suspected scenarios of the incident, including Poland being struck by Russian military missiles. Polish top officials have met for an extraordinary session over the "crisis situation".
Together with its allies Slovakia will adopt measures in response to Russian missiles crossing into Poland, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) stated on Tuesday and called on the public to keep calm. "The crossing of what were probably Russian missiles onto Polish territory claimed lives today. In response, Slovakia will stand firmly by our Polish allies. NATO is going to take steps to bolster the defence of its members and send a clear signal to the Russian Federation that any potential continuation will have consequences," said Nad.
At the moment, Nad doesn't expect Article 5 of the Washington Treaty on collective defence to be activated. "At this stage, we expect Poland to exercise Article 4 of the Washington Treaty and ask for consultations among allies, but we don't expect them to go Article 5. A logical response would be a request for further reinforcement of the allied state’s protection on NATO's eastern flank," claimed Nad. The Defence Minister asked the public to keep calm. "Of course, Poland must respond to the fact that its citizens were killed. On the other hand, we're all aware of the delicate nature of the whole situation. That's why I'd like to calm down the public. The allies across the Alliance are in constant touch and we're doing our utmost to protect our inhabitants," added Nad.
News of missiles hitting Poland is disconcerting and naturally inspires worry, but it's necessary to wait for a more comprehensive assessment of the situation, President Zuzana Caputova stated on Tuesday. "I trust that our response and the response of our allies will be prudent, smart and proportionate. I expressed support to President Andrzej Duda and solidarity to the Polish people," added Caputova.
Slovakia is deeply concerned with news of Russian missiles striking Poland and extends full support to and solidarity with its northern neighbor and NATO ally, chief of Slovak diplomacy Rastislav Kacer stated on Tuesday. "We also express full support and solidarity with our near neighbor, partner and ally," Kacer posted on a social network. The Foreign Affairs Ministry supports a prompt investigation into the incident. (TASR)
