France will send three Rafale fighter jets to Poland to reinforce NATO’s eastern defences, following Russian drone incursions that crossed into Polish airspace, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday.
Macron said the decision was made after consultations with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He stressed that safeguarding Europe’s security remained paramount and vowed that Paris would not bow to Russian intimidation.
“The security of the European continent is our top priority. We will not yield to Russia’s growing intimidation,” Macron wrote on the social media platform X.
Meanwhile outgoing French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France will summon the Russian ambassador on Friday (12 Sept) over this week's drone incursion into Poland's airspace, which he told France Inter radio was "not an accident".
The announcements come amid heightened tensions after drones launched by Russia during a large-scale strike on western Ukraine crossed into Poland in the early hours on Wednesday. Although Moscow denied any intention of targeting Polish territory, the incident triggered alarm in Warsaw and across the alliance.
Poland has since imposed sweeping restrictions on civilian air traffic along its eastern border with Belarus and Ukraine, while also calling for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The Polish government said it was working closely with NATO partners to strengthen coordination and bolster its defensive posture.
Germany also pledged to expand its support for Poland, signalling a broader allied effort to shield NATO’s eastern frontier against the fallout of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The deployment of French jets underscores a renewed commitment among European allies to deter further Russian aggression and to demonstrate collective resolve in defending NATO territory.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrai...
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the ...
Indonesian rescuers are searching for 130 people after a passenger ship carrying 243 people sank in the Java Sea following bad weather, while 113 p...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the weekend BRICS summit, amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, joining a host of foreign dignitaries.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
Mexico and the U.S. are racing to secure a trade deal before the U.S. midterm elections in less than eight weeks, according to six sources familiar with the talks, with failed negotiations between Washington and Canada adding urgency.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
Indonesian rescuers are searching for 130 people after a passenger ship carrying 243 people sank in the Java Sea following bad weather, while 113 people have been evacuated and six have died, the country’s search and rescue agency said on Sunday.
China will lead the creation of an open source platform among BRICS members to promote cooperation on large language models, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday.
Swedes vote in an election on Sunday (13 September) that could see the far-right enter government for the first time if the country's right-wing parties can form a majority.
Philippine rescuers recovered 41 more charred remains from a ferry fire on Saturday (12 September), taking the death toll to 76, while 13 people remained unaccounted for as forensic teams worked to identify the victims.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment