The Polish population is starting to develop antipathy toward Ukraine, but the government should make efforts to curb this shift in sentiment, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said. His comments come after several drones recently fell on Polish territory, which Warsaw blamed on Russia. Moscow has dismissed the allegation as baseless.
In a post on X on Sunday, Tusk stated that “there is a growing wave of pro-Russian sentiment and antipathy towards a struggling Ukraine,” claiming it is being fueled by the Kremlin and “genuine fears and emotions” alike, without elaborating.
He added that “the role of politicians is to stem this tide,” not to take advantage of it. “This is a test of the patriotism and maturity of the entire Polish political class,” Tusk said.
His warning followed an incident last week when officials reported at least 19 violations of Polish airspace by drones, adding that up to four UAVs were downed, and that there had been damage on the ground but no casualties. Warsaw subsequently accused Russia of staging an “act of aggression.”
The Russian Defense Ministry dismissed the allegation, stating that none of its drone operations are aimed at Poland and that they only target Ukrainian military-linked facilities. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “the leadership of the EU and NATO accuse Russia of provocations on a daily basis, most often declining to offer any arguments.”
Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski acknowledged that many of the drones entered from Ukrainian territory, adding they were capable of carrying munitions but had not been loaded with explosives.
He also dismissed suggestions that Poland’s air defenses were unprepared for a drone incursion, despite reports that several UAVs had travelled hundreds of miles into Polish airspace. His remarks came after several Western media outlets, including Politico and Austria’s Kurier, noted that the episode highlighted the vulnerability of NATO members to large-scale drone attacks.
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