Trudeau 'closely monitoring' situation in Poland as Biden calls emergency meeting
CBC
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended an emergency meeting of G7 and NATO leaders called by U.S. President Joe Biden in Indonesia after Poland said it was investigating after what it called a Russian-made missile hit its territory and killed two people Tuesday.
Trudeau, who is with leaders in Bali for the G20 summit, tweeted that he was being briefed on the latest developments and he was sending his deepest condolences to the Polish people.
In a joint statement Wednesday, the leaders said they "condemn the barbaric missile attacks that Russia perpetrated on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure."
"We discussed the explosion that took place in the eastern part of Poland near the border with Ukraine. We offer our full support for and assistance with Poland's ongoing investigation," reads the statement.
"We agree to remain in close touch to determine appropriate next steps as the investigation proceeds."
After the emergency meeting, Biden told reporters it was "unlikely" the missile had been fired from Russia, but that there was "total unanimity among the folks at the table" to support Poland's probe of the attack.
The leaders reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the face of ongoing Russian aggression, "as well as our continued readiness to hold Russia accountable for its brazen attacks on Ukrainian communities."
The Polish government confirmed that its foreign minister summoned the Russian ambassador on Tuesday and "demanded immediate explanations," in a statement that came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decried the missile strike as a "very significant escalation."
Polish President Andrzej Duda qualified his officials' statement, telling reporters later that the missile was "most probably" Russian-made but that the information is still being verified and officials don't know for sure who fired it.
Still, the country's prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said his government was investigating and raising its military preparedness, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called an emergency meeting of the military alliance's envoys to discuss the events.
The NATO alliance was formed after the Second World War as a check against the Soviet Union and currently has 30 members spread across North America and Europe.
The keystone of its founding treaty, Article 5, stipulates that any "armed attack" against one member constitutes an attack against all, and may trigger a self-defence response from allies as a bloc.
It was unclear whether Tuesday's events would fall under that category, or if they may fall under Article 4, which says member states can convene a consultation with other members if they feel their security or independence are threatened.
Defence Minister Anita Anand had said earlier Tuesday that Canada was monitoring the situation. "I'm receiving updates regarding this report and very closely in touch with our Polish allies at this time. It would be imprudent for me to comment further," Anand said on her way into the House of Commons before question period.
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