KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy on Tuesday decried an apparent Russian missile strike. It hit Poland, a neighboring member of NATO. Zelenskyy called it an escalation of the war after two Polish citizens died.
Earlier in the day, Russia pounded Ukraine’s energy facilities with its biggest barrage of missiles yet, striking targets across the country and causing widespread blackouts.
Thousands of miles away in East Tennessee, Victor Ashe said the U.S. response to the missile strike would be determined by Poland's response. He is a former U.S. Ambassador to Poland, serving from 2004 through 2009.
Before the U.S. responds to the missile strike, Ashe said they would need to determine if it was a premeditated attack or an accident. Meanwhile, he said Russian leaders are denying that the missile strike ever happened.
"Well, it did happen and Russia's truthfulness is very suspect," he said. "Until we know what the Polish response is and whether they ask NATO to intervene under Article Five, we really don't know."
He said the Polish government will need to be the ones to decide if it was premeditated or an accident. On the NATO Charter, all member nations need to come to the defense of other nations if they are attacked. Ashe said that was why NATO sent aid to the U.S. following the terrorist attack on Sept. 11.
Early Wednesday morning in Indonesia, President Joe Biden called an "emergency" meeting of G7 and NATO leaders for consultations about the strike. He said it was unlikely that the missile that hit Poland was fired from Russia, but still pledged support for Poland's investigation into what it called a "Russian-made" missile.
It was around 15 miles from the Ukrainian border, according to reports. If confirmed, it would mark the first time in the war that Russian weapons impacted a NATO-member country.
"Anyone who can predict what Vladimir Putin is likely to do obviously has a crystal ball that's not very valid," Ashe said. "You're not dealing with a normal person."