<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares expressed their solidarity with Poland on Wednesday after Polish authorities were forced to shoot down several Russian drones that had entered its airspace during a massive attack against Ukraine.</strong></h4> “Russia's violation of European airspace is unacceptable,” Pedro Sánchez wrote on social media. “We express our complete solidarity with Poland, which can always count on Spain in the defense of our common peace and security,” he added. “I have just spoken with my Polish counterpart, Radosław Sikorski,” Albares also announced on social media. “I have conveyed Spain's solidarity with him in the face of Russia's flagrant violation of Polish airspace,” he continued. “Europeans and allies are united. We protect the peace and security of Europe and of Europeans,” he concluded. For her part, Defense Minister Margarita Robles stated that "today is an important day to unreservedly condemn the aggression that Ukraine suffers every day, and that Poland suffered today," and assured that the NATO member states will continue to support Ukraine. "The violation of the airspace of an NATO member state like Poland" demonstrates that "peace must be protected every day," she added. Poland activated its air defenses on Wednesday and shot down several Russian drones that had entered its territory while Moscow launched an air offensive against western Ukraine. Authorities described the incursion as an act of aggression and raised the maximum alert level, closing several airports and requesting the Atlantic Council invoke Article 4 of the NATO Treaty in response to what it described as a "real threat" to its security. The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces reported that Russian drones violated its airspace early in the morning, which were monitored by both Polish and allied radars. Considered a direct threat to security, some of these drones were neutralized using Polish forces and NATO systems, while efforts are intensified to locate wreckage or potential impact zones. The hardest-hit regions include Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, and Lublin, where the population was urged to stay home while the situation was brought under control. As a precautionary measure, several key airports were temporarily closed, including Warsaw Chopin Airport, as well as those in Modlin, Rzeszów-Jasionka, and Lublin. Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the incident a direct attack and held an emergency meeting with his cabinet, maintaining close communication with NATO. In the United States and other allied countries, lawmakers and defense experts called the incursion an "act of war" and called for tougher sanctions against Russia, arguing that these actions are intended to test the Western alliance's response. Therefore, Poland has submitted a formal request to activate Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which requires allies to convene consultations when a threat to the territorial integrity or political independence of a member state is perceived. This action, although less forceful than Article 5—which requires consideration of collective defense if any member is under armed attack—represents a significant step in alerting the entire Alliance to the level of danger the country faces. By invoking Article 4, Poland demands political and military support, though without automatically triggering a joint armed response. The measure allows the North Atlantic Council to meet urgently to assess the situation, coordinate responses—from defensive deployments to sanctions or technical assistance—and send a signal of unity in the face of external aggression.
