
Osaka, Japan – Today, the State Minister and Foreign Affairs responded to the Russian ambassador’s request for clarifications regarding “the invasion of airspace and the border” of Poland, characterizing it as “a formal protest.”
“This is a practice that many European Union members have agreed upon, stemming from incidents involving dozens of drones crossing airspace and entering EU and NATO territory, which is unprecedented,” explained Paulo Rangel to reporters after visiting the Portugal Pavilion at Expo Osaka during the Prime Minister’s trip to Japan.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Paulo Rangel, summoned the Russian ambassador to seek explanations for the “invasion of airspace and the border” of Poland, according to an official source who spoke to Lusa on Thursday.
When asked about the implications of this action, the government’s second-in-command indicated it carries “formal protest and sanctioning significance.”
“It serves as a warning, a preliminary warning sanction. We expect clarifications; this hearing will almost certainly occur in Portugal, and there may be some explanations offered,” he noted.
However, the minister expressed limited expectations for a “convincing” response.
“Thus far, the Russian Federation has not provided any persuasive justification for this event,” he stated.
On whether all EU countries will take similar action, Rangel acknowledged unanimity may not be achieved, though several nations have already done so.
“For instance, France also decided to take this step today, Spain had previously done so, as did Sweden, Belgium, Croatia, Romania, the Baltic states, and Poland. I would estimate that over 20 countries are involved,” he detailed.
The Russian ambassador is currently not in Portugal and will be represented by the chargé d’affaires of the Russian embassy in Lisbon.
Polish authorities reported a “large-scale provocation” from Russia, noting that 19 drones entered Polish airspace, with some being intercepted.
The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, invoked Article 4 of NATO, which calls for consultations among its member states.
Moscow stated it had no intention of violating Polish airspace. (12/09725)













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