"Incident Caused by Russia's Illegal War"
Polish President "Russia Must Take Responsibility"
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), stated that Russia is responsible for the missile explosion incident that occurred near the border area between eastern Poland and Ukraine. Although initial investigations suggested that the missile was likely a Ukrainian air defense missile, the ultimate responsibility lies with Russia, as the incident resulted from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The United States and Poland, the affected country, also strongly asserted Russia's responsibility, even though the missile was identified as a Ukrainian air defense missile. This stance is interpreted as a move to preemptively counter growing opposition to military support should blame increasingly shift toward Ukraine.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 16th (local time), Secretary General Stoltenberg said at a press conference following an emergency meeting with NATO member country envoys, "Preliminary analysis suggests that the missile that landed in Poland is presumed to be a Ukrainian air defense missile, and further detailed investigations are ongoing. However, this is not Ukraine's fault; it is an incident caused by Russia continuing its illegal war, and Russia must bear ultimate responsibility."
The U.S. government also reinforced the narrative of Russian responsibility. The White House emphasized in a statement that "the ultimate responsible party is Russia, which launched missile attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine." This is seen as a measure to prevent increased blame on Ukraine and distrust among Ukraine's neighboring countries, which could weaken public support for aid to Ukraine and cooperation on sanctions against Russia.
Poland, the affected country, also stated that Russia is responsible, not Ukraine. Polish President Andrzej Duda said at a press conference, "There is no evidence so far that the missile attack, which killed two of our citizens, was launched by the Russian military, and there are more signs that Ukraine's air defense system was the cause. However, this accident is an unfortunate incident caused by a very serious conflict initiated by Russia, and Russia must certainly be held responsible."
On the other hand, Russia denied any responsibility and demanded a transparent investigation, indicating that disputes over accountability are expected to continue. Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, who attended the UN Security Council meeting convened that day, reiterated Russia's non-involvement and urged that "a transparent and thorough investigation must be conducted promptly."
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