‘No indication’ that Russia plans to attack NATO – Stoltenberg
The head of the US-led alliance said a Ukrainian anti-air missile likely hit Polish territory
Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, November 16, 2022 © AP / Olivier Matthys
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Wednesday that the alliance sees
“no indication” that Russia is preparing
“offensive military actions” against it. While Kiev accused Russia of launching a missile strike on Poland, Stoltenberg said the missile was likely Ukrainian.
Speaking after a meeting of NATO’s North Atlantic Council, Stoltenberg said the explosion that killed two people near the Polish village of Przewowdow on Tuesday
“was likely caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile.”
“We have no indication that Russia is preparing offensive military actions against NATO,” he added.
The explosion was instantly blamed on Russia by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who called it a
“Russian attack on the collective security” of NATO, of which Poland is a member.
However, US President Joe Biden said this explanation was
“unlikely,” and Polish President Andrzej Duda opted not to call for urgent consultations under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, describing the explosion as an
“unfortunate accident” likely caused by a Ukrainian missile.