Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended an emergency meeting of G7 and NATO leaders called by US President Joe Biden in Indonesia after Poland said on Tuesday that a Russian-made missile struck its territory, killing two people.
Trudeau, who is with leaders in Bali for the G20 summit, tweeted Tuesday night that he was being updated on the latest developments and that he sent his deepest condolences to the Polish people.
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told reporters on the sidelines of the summit that “important meetings” are taking place with allies as the NATO military alliance grapples with how to respond to a potential escalation of war between Russia and Ukraine.
The Polish government confirmed that its foreign minister summoned the Russian ambassador on Tuesday and “demanded an immediate explanation”, in a statement that came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the missile attack a “very significant escalation”.
Polish President Andrzej Duda pointed to his officials’ statement, later telling reporters that the missile was “most likely” Russian-made, but that the information was still being verified and officials did not know for sure who fired it.
But the country’s prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, said his government was investigating and raising its military readiness, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called an emergency meeting of the alliance’s military envoys to discuss the events.
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The NATO alliance was established after World War II as a check against the Soviet Union and currently has 30 members across North America and Europe.
The cornerstone of its founding treaty, Article 5, states that any “armed attack” against one member constitutes an attack against all and may trigger a self-defense response from allies as a bloc.
It was not clear whether Tuesday’s events would fall into that category or whether they might fall under Article 4, which says member states can convene a consultation with other members if they feel their security or independence is threatened.
Defense Minister Anita Anand had said earlier Tuesday that Canada was monitoring the situation.  “I am receiving updates on this report and am in very close contact with our Polish allies at this time.  It would be imprudent for me to comment further,” Anand said as she made her way to the House of Commons ahead of question period.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said in French that she had no specific comments to make, but that she and other top officials were in contact with allies.
But conservative defense critic James Bezan pointedly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the deaths in Poland.  He said on Twitter that his party condemns Putin for “the cruel missile attacks” and “our deepest condolences to the people of Poland and Ukraine for the loss of their citizens.”
The Russian Defense Ministry denied that it had launched strikes in the area near the Ukrainian-Polish border and accused Polish media and officials of deliberately escalating the situation.
The Associated Press had reported earlier on Tuesday, citing two sources, including a US intelligence official, that Russian missiles had crossed into Polish territory during a massive barrage that hit Ukraine’s power grid and cut power to much of Moldova.
Polish media reported that two people were killed on Tuesday afternoon after a missile hit an area where grain was being dried in Przewodow, a village near the border with Ukraine.
Poland’s statements did not address the specific circumstances of the attack, including whether it could have been a mistargeting or whether the missile could have been deflected off course by Ukrainian missile defenses.
The events have fueled fears that the ongoing war in Ukraine will spill over into eastern Europe and spark a wider conflict between Russia and NATO, which supports Ukraine with money and weapons but not troops.
Stoltenberg said in a statement that he spoke with Duda about “the explosion” in Poland.  “I offer my condolences for the loss of life,” he added.
However, Stoltenberg also said that while the alliance was monitoring the situation and all allies were in close consultation with each other, it was “important to establish all the facts”.
Biden spoke with both Stoltenberg and Duda on Tuesday after waking up overnight in Indonesia, where it was past midnight when the first reports about Poland emerged.
A readout of the conversation with Duda, released by the White House, says Biden “offered full US support and assistance to Poland’s investigation” into what was described as an “explosion”.
“President Biden reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the United States to NATO,” the readout reads.  “The two leaders said they and their teams should remain in close contact to determine appropriate next steps as the investigation progresses.”
Vedant Patel, the US State Department’s deputy spokesman, said earlier on Tuesday that “we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves with hypotheticals” and “we don’t yet know what has happened.”
Zelensky quickly accused Russia of firing missiles at Poland as he once again called on NATO allies to step up their support for his country.
“Terror is not limited to our national borders.  Russian missiles hit Poland,” Zelensky wrote in Ukrainian in a message posted on the Telegram social networking site.
“To launch missiles into NATO territory, this is a Russian missile attack on collective security!  This is a very important escalation.  We must act.”
Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks, whose country hosts a 2,000-strong NATO force led by 700 Canadian soldiers, also blamed Russia.
“(The) criminal Russian regime launched missiles targeting not only Ukrainian civilians but also landed on NATO territory in Poland,” Pabriks said on Twitter.  “Latvia fully stands by Polish friends and condemns this crime.”
There are also 40 Canadian military engineers in Poland training Ukrainian forces.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on November 15, 2022.
– With files from The Associated Press and Dylan Robertson in Bali, Indonesia