RUSSIAN missiles could soon rain down on London if Europe doesn’t take decisive action to support Kyiv, a Ukrainian diplomat has warned.
In an emotive statement at the UN, Andrii Melnyk accused Moscow of deliberately breaching NATO airspace when more than a dozen drones tore over Poland this week.
AlamyAmbassador Andrii Melnyk of Ukraine attends a meeting at UN Headquarters in New York[/caption]
GettyFirefighters work at the site of a Russian drone strike in Sumy, Ukraine[/caption]
EPAUkrainian rescuers working at the site of a Russian strike near Odesa[/caption]
Polish and allied forces shot down the drones as they crossed the border in what the country’s PM Donald Tusk called “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two”.
More NATO countries have since vowed to move more troops to the bloc’s eastern front as tensions with Russia continue to reach boiling point.
While Ukraine is not a member of the alliance, NATO countries including Britain have been vital supporters of Kyiv since the full-scale invasion in 2022.
But at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, Melnyk pleaded the West to take the threat posed by Putin’s Russia more seriously.
In a chilling warning, he say the world is “staring into the abyss of a Third World War”.
“The world burns while we twiddle our thumbs waiting for Godot, who will never arrive,” he added.
Melnyk lamented the lack of progress towards peace, accusing Russia of deliberately firing “deadly drones into Poland’s airspace”.
The Kremlin dismissed the drone incursion as “political clickbait“.
As a member state of NATO, Poland is protected by the Article 5 agreement, meaning an attack on one is deemed an attack on all.
If a NATO member attacked by Russia chose to invoke this clause, the whole of the alliance – which includes the US, the UK, France and Germany – would be obliged to join in the fight.
After this week’s attack, Warsaw instead opted to trigger Article 4, which brings member states together to discuss an active threat without going to war.
But Melnyk ominously warned that Putin’s warmongering would go far beyond Poland if this attack went unchallenged.
“If this escalation is left without a decisive reaction, Russia will not stop with Poland,” he said.
“Tomorrow, it could be drones or even missiles falling on Berlin, Paris or London.
“By sending drones to Ukraine and now to Poland, our neighbour, Russia, is not just mocking this council.
“It is spitting in your face, and yet we politely pretend that it is only raining.”
What is Article 4?
ARTICLE 4 is a clause in Nato’s founding treaty which states all allies must come together when the security or territory of one is threatened.
Under this clause, members can bring any issue of concern to the table to be discussed.
Since the Alliance’s creation in 1949, Article 4 has been invoked eight times.
Following Russia’s drone incursion into Polish air space, PM Tusk made a request for Article 4 and said: “Allies are resolved to defend every inch of allied territory.”
Nato chief Mark Rutte said the Security Council met yesterday morning to discuss Poland’s request.
Warsaw claims Russia’s drone attack on Poland was deliberate
ReutersNATO countries including Britain have been vital supporters of Kyiv[/caption]
GettyA house burns after being hit by Russian shelling in Kostiantynivka[/caption]
Hopes for a ceasefire or full peace deal between Russia and Ukraine appear distant, and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has suggested that negotiations are on “pause”.
US President Donald Trump famously vowed to bring the war to a close within 24 hours of assuming office in January.
Pressure is mounting on Washington and its NATO allies to double down on sanctions against Russia to wear down Moscow’s war machine and force Putin into serious talks.
Trump has said his patience with the Russian despot is “running out fast” following this week’s drone attack.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to routinely carry out barbaric airstrikes against Ukraine’s cities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the West to adopt a tougher line against Putin.
“Only united European forces can give real protection,” he said.
“Unfortunately, so far, Russia has not yet faced a tough reaction from global leaders.”
AFPUkrainian servicemen participate in training on how to destroy drones[/caption]
AFPUkraine has urged the West to take a tougher line against Putin[/caption]
AFPPutin’s forces continue to routinely carry out barbaric airstrikes against Ukraine’s cities[/caption]