WARSAW – An unprecedented Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace on Wednesday has prompted Prime Minister Donald Tusk and new President Karol Nawrocki to unexpectedly close ranks after weeks of bitter clashes.
The two leaders condemned the incident as a provocation and called for NATO consultations, including the possible activation of Article 4, which allows allies to discuss threats to territorial integrity.
Nawrocki said he had spoken with Tusk and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz about strengthening Poland’s anti-drone defences in coordination with partners.
“There are matters that should remain outside the bounds of day-to-day political disputes, and yesterday we had practical proof of that,” said Zbigniew Bogucki, head of Nawrocki’s office. “Today we must identify the areas where cooperation can be improved.”
He added that dialogue between the president and prime minister must not be blocked and urged better communication between the two camps.
Since taking office last month, Nawrocki has vetoed legislation and lambasted the government, positioning himself as a bigger challenge to Tusk than his predecessor, Andrzej Duda. But the drone incident has, at least temporarily, shifted the tone toward cooperation in Warsaw.
(de)
