Russia's firing of drones over Poland is "absolutely unacceptable," the French foreign minister said on Friday, September 12, adding that the Russian ambassador would be summoned over the incident. "He will be summoned this morning," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told France Inter radio.
"We will tell him that we will not be intimidated... Whether intentional or not, whether accidental or not, this is very serious, this is absolutely unacceptable," he said. "This is a deliberate strategy by Russia to intimidate us, to test us," he added.
Poland branded the incident, which prompted Polish and NATO forces to shoot down several drones overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, a deliberate "unprecedented" attack on the country, NATO and the European Union.
Moscow denied targeting the country and said there was no evidence the drones were Russian. US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the alleged incursion of Russian drones may have happened by "mistake."
President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France would deploy three fighter jets to help protect Polish airspace after the incident. "Their mission will be to detect and, if necessary, destroy drones that threaten Polish territory. And other countries will follow," Barrot said.