Poland rebuffs demand by Zelensky about Russia

The Ukrainian leader had insisted that the West “must close” the Baltic Sea for Moscow-linked ships

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has dismissed a call by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky for Western countries to try to close the Baltic Sea to Russian vessels over concerns that they could be used for launching drones.

Officials in several EU countries in recent weeks have spoken of drones violating their countries’ airspace. Though there have been speculations in the media that Russia could have been behind the incidents, Western governments, in most cases, have refrained from leveling accusations, citing a lack of evidence.

Poland has been a notable exception, alleging last month that Russian drones crossed its airspace during strikes on Ukraine. Moscow has rejected the claim and noted that Warsaw had failed to produce proof.

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However, on Sunday, Zelensky claimed that Russian forces were using oil tankers to launch drones against EU states, saying this was “yet more evidence why the Baltic Sea and other seas must be closed to Russian tankers – at the very least to the shadow fleet.”

Speaking on Radio ZET on Monday, Nawrocki rejected the demand. While he concurred that Russian activity in the region was “certainly concerning,” he stressed that “we are waiting for an analysis from our military. Such decisions are not made based on President Zelensky’s words.”

Brussels and Western governments have sought to tackle what they call Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which they claim is used to circumvent sanctions on oil shipments. Moscow has called Western sanctions “illegal,” warning that any attempts to restrict the freedom of the seas, including in the Baltic, would be met with an appropriate response.

EU officials have also been discussing the creation of a so-called “drone wall” along the Russian border that would be able to neutralize unidentified and unauthorized UAVs. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized the idea, saying that “building walls is always bad, as history shows. It is very regrettable that this militaristic, confrontational policy of Ukraine” may now lead to new divisions.