WARSAW/BRUSSELS, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the country's lower house of parliament (Sejm) on Wednesday that he has formally requested the invocation of Article 4 of the NATO founding treaty, after Polish airspace was violated 19 times overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Noting that the drones entered from Belarus for the first time, Tusk said invoking the NATO article was a joint decision taken with Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
Article 4 of the Washington Treaty (the North Atlantic Treaty) allows for consultations whenever a member believes its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened.
Tusk said Poland will ask for greater support from allies in defending its airspace.
Citing the record of Poland's Operational Command, Tusk said the drones' incursion into Polish airspace has lasted the entire night, bringing Poland closer to open conflict than it has been since World War II. However, he added, "There are no grounds today to claim that we are at war."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that the alliance has responded to Poland's request for consultations under Article 4 and is now conducting a comprehensive assessment of the situation.
NATO will continue to closely monitor the situation in the east, with its air defense systems kept on standby, he added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Poland concluded its overnight air defense operation after the drone threat had been neutralized. Although Poland and NATO both accused Russia of launching the drones, Russia has denied any involvement and called the accusation "groundless."
Rutte said NATO condemns Russia's "reckless behavior," adding that the drone incursion is not an isolated act, and that the intentions behind it are under study.
Russia's Defense Ministry said Wednesday that it is ready to hold consultations with the Polish Defense Ministry over "reports of drones allegedly crossing into Polish territory," adding that none of the targets of its large-scale overnight strike on Ukrainian military facilities were located in Poland.
According to Russia's RIA Novosti news agency, the Charge d'affaires of the Russian Federation Andrei Ordash has been summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry. However, Ordash said Poland had presented no evidence of the drones' alleged Russian origin. ■
