Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday accused Russia of orchestrating acts of “air terror” against airlines worldwide, alleging sabotage and diversion both on Polish soil and beyond.
Speaking during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Polish capital, Warsaw, Tusk described the incidents as “very dramatic” and highlighted Poland’s role in countering Russian activities.
“Poland plays a key role in Europe in countering acts of sabotage and diversion that Russia is organising—not just in Poland but internationally,” Tusk said. “Russia had planned acts of air terror, not only against Poland but against airlines all over the world.”
The remarks follow recent reports of incendiary devices being sent on Western-bound planes from Lithuania, with allegations that Moscow was behind the incidents.
The devices, including modified electric massagers containing flammable substances, have been linked to a lorry fire outside Warsaw. Lithuanian authorities and UK anti-terrorism police have also connected similar cases in Germany and the UK to Russian interference.
During the talks, Tusk pledged to speed-up Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, with Poland currently holding the EU’s rotating presidency.
“The Polish presidency will break the impasse… and work with Ukraine and our European partners to speed up the accession process as much as possible,” he said. Zelenskyy pointed out the importance of joining Western institutions, saying, “The sooner Ukraine is in the EU and Nato, the sooner Europe gains the geopolitical certainty it needs.”
The meeting took place amid mounting concerns over US President-elect Donald Trump’s impending foreign policy moves. Trump has pledged to quickly end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, raising fears in Kyiv about potential territorial concessions in exchange for peace.
The two leaders also addressed the decades-old Volyn killings issue, where Polish families are seeking the exhumation and dignified burial of victims in modern-day Ukraine. “There is a pretty obvious problem to resolve, which is the need of Polish families to bury their loved ones with dignity,” Tusk said. While acknowledging progress, neither side provided specific details on the actions agreed upon.
Tusk hailed the dialogue as a major step forward, saying, “The fact that we understand each other on this matter and have taken action constitutes significant progress.”
