Tusk warns of future attacks after ‘direct threat’ averted at Poland-Ukraine border
Por Alice Taylor — War in Ukraine – POLITICO
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said a ‘direct threat’ was averted at a border crossing with Ukraine on Wednesday night and warned of further incidents linked to Russia in the near future.
His comments came just one day after a Russian drone hit a border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova, killing two people and wounding several others.
“Last night, thanks to cooperation between our services and their Ukrainian counterparts, a direct threat to a border crossing was averted,” Tusk said in a press conference after a meeting of the Visegrád Group leaders in Bratislava Thursday.
Tusk did not provide any further details about the nature of the threat or which of the 18 border crossings between Poland and Ukraine was affected.
The prime minister added that the incident was just a taste of what is to come and noted he had received a “fairly precise report” from the CIA regarding possible events in the coming months.
“We must anticipate various scenarios; both Poland and all of Europe need to be prepared for different possibilities concerning the situation not only on the Russian-Ukrainian front but also along the EU’s eastern flank.”
The incident at the border crossing between Moldova and Ukraine’s Odesa region left two people dead, causing President Maia Sandu to call for further European air defense support for Ukraine.
Russia also struck a Moldova-Ukraine border crossing in August.
“As you know, Russia has already resorted to provocative attacks on border crossings—for instance, in Moldova. We expect similar actions targeting border crossings with Ukraine in other countries, including Poland,” said Tusk.
In August, after a briefing with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, he warned that “escalation from Russia’s side is progressing,” and called for more air support for Ukraine as it is “crucial for our security.”
He said the next six months would be decisive and made it clear that provocations against NATO members should not be ruled out.
The CIA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jalen Beckford contributed to this report.
Fonte: War in Ukraine – POLITICO
