NATO's unity is tested as Russian drones breach airspace in Poland and Romania, prompting a military response. In Poland, a political divide between President Karol Nawrocki and Prime Minister Donald Tusk complicates matters, with Nawrocki demanding reparations from Germany for WWII damages. This tension could impact Poland's relations with Germany and NATO's stance against Russia.
NATO Rift Emerges After Russian Incursion in Poland
NATO Rift Emerges After Russian Incursion in Poland
NATO's front has been breached, and Europe strives to remain united. Meanwhile, the government and president in the key country of Poland are divided.
This week, NATO's airspace in both Poland and Romania was violated by Russian drones.
NATO has responded by bolstering its defense at the eastern border with both ground and air forces.
While NATO attempts to maintain its unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin, a rift is surfacing in Poland.
Demands for Billions in Reparations for Hitler's Crimes
In June, the national conservative Karol Nawrocki was elected as the new president.
His stance on European cooperation is significantly more skeptical than that of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. As president, he can veto issues the government tries to push through.
Nawrocki has been greatly praised by Donald Trump, and their relationship is described as strong, while many other European diplomats worry about how Trump will act.
When the Russian drones violated NATO's airspace this week, it was Nawrocki whom the American president called, not Prime Minister Tusk, who, with his government, is actually responsible for foreign policy, reports Politico.
This is not the first time Trump has bypassed the government to speak with Nawrocki, causing irritation in the Polish government.
"We cannot conduct two different kinds of foreign policy," said Foreign Minister's spokesperson Paweł Wroński last month.
The Polish division is also evident in the relationship with Germany. President Nawrocki demands billions in reparations for the damages the Nazis caused in Poland during World War II.
A demand that Germany refuses to agree to and that Prime Minister Tusk does not pursue.
The president himself has linked the reparations to Putin's threats against NATO's borders in Poland.
"As a frontline country and key state on NATO's eastern flank, Poland needs justice, truth, and clear relations with Germany," Nawrocki said during a World War II memorial earlier in September.
"Could Shake the Relationship"
On Tuesday, Nawrocki is set to visit Germany and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The concern is that the Polish president, with Trump's support, might worsen the relationship with Germany at a crucial stage.
"A half-sentence wrongly formulated could shake the relationship," says Knut Abraham, coordinator for Polish relations at the German Foreign Ministry, to Politico.
Meanwhile, Nawrocki has public opinion in Poland on his side to push for reparations against the Germans.
"He may, of course, want to use the issue to make a name for himself in domestic politics. It's understandable, it happens everywhere," says German diplomatic leader Rolf Nikel, former ambassador to Poland, to Politico.
"But the point is that we currently have a war at our external borders, so we must do everything to ensure that Germany, Poland, and the rest of Europe stand united," he says.