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Germany Rejects Russian “Navigation Error” Excuse, Warns of Strong NATO Response
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Germany has rejected Moscow’s claims that Russian drones, which breached Polish airspace overnight, were the result of a “navigation error,” warning that Berlin and its allies will deliver a tough response to what it views as a deliberate escalation, according to The Guardian on September 10.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told lawmakers that the drones were “clearly set on this course” toward Poland.
“They did not have to fly this route to reach Ukraine. There is absolutely no reason to believe that this was a course correction error or anything of the sort,” Pistorius said.
Johann Wadephul, Germany’s Foreign Minister, condemned both Russia’s massive overnight strikes on Ukraine and the drone incursions into Poland, calling them part of the Kremlin’s ongoing escalation.
“With the drone’s penetration into Poland, Russia accepted escalation. Russia is not ready for diplomacy, so we will give a strong response,” Wadephul said.
Speaking alongside his Dutch counterpart in Berlin, Wadephul also announced that Europeans will introduce tougher sanctions to raise pressure on Moscow.
“Even after three years, Moscow is still not prepared to negotiate seriously for peace. On the contrary, the Kremlin wants to subjugate Ukraine by force. We must and will respond to this with a clear answer,” he said.
Wadephul stressed that Germany and its European partners are united in maintaining strong support for Ukraine to bolster its defenses.
“At the same time, we must significantly increase sanctions pressure. We are in complete agreement on this. That is our goal for the 19th package of sanctions,” he added, referring to upcoming EU measures that are expected to target Russian banks and the energy sector.
Earlier, NATO invoked Article 4 of its founding treaty at Poland’s request, following a wave of Russian drones crossing into Polish airspace overnight.
