London vows support as Poland investigates missile strike near Ukraine border
The UK prime minister has said that Britain fully supports a Polish investigation into a missile incident in which two civilians were killed in the southeast of the country near the Ukrainian border.
Rishi SunakEPA/ANDY RAIN
Two Polish citizens died when „a Russia-made missile” caused an explosion outside the southeastern Polish village of Przewodów, about 6 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, at around 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a statement by the Polish foreign ministry.
The explosion at a grain facility in the Polish village came as Russia fired dozens of missiles against cities across Ukraine in a new wave of attacks targeting critical energy infrastructure, according to officials.
Addressing the House of Commons on Thursday, Sunak said that Poland’s investigation into where the missile came from “has our full support,” and added that the UK would help conduct it.
Commenting on suggestions that the missile may have come from Ukraine, Sunak said that “no blame can be placed on a country trying to defend itself from such a barrage.”
He added: „The blame belongs solely to Russia.”
Sunak told lawmakers in the House of Commons that he had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to express both countries’ „full support.”
Sunak also delivered a statement on Russia’s missile attacks on Ukraine, condemning the “brutality” of over 80 missile strikes targeted at civilians and public infrastructure.
“We will continue to stand with Ukraine in the face of Russia’s criminal aggression,” Sunak declared.
He told British lawmakers that the G20 group of the world’s largest economies, which met in Bali earlier this week, was “created to grip challenges like this.”
Referring to Russia, he added that “today’s crisis is different because it is being driven by a G20 member.”
Sunka said that, in response to Russia’s severe disruption of global food and energy markets, the G20 nations were delivering a “decisive response,” with almost all member countries „calling out Russia’s actions” and declaring that „today’s era must not be one of war.”
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that the deadly explosion in Poland near its border with Ukraine was the result of a Ukrainian air defense missile that landed in Poland, but added that Russia „bears ultimate responsibility” for the incident.
Polish President Andrzej Duda has said that there is „no indication” that the missile, which killed two Polish citizens, was intended to hit Poland amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told parliament in Warsaw on Wednesday that it could not be ruled out that the missile incident was the result of a „provocation” by Russia.
(mo/gs)
Source: IAR, theguardian.com
