US attempted to contact Russia after missile incident in Poland
Polish officers near the site of the missile crash near the village of Przewodów, November 16, 2022 (Photo:Jakub Orzechowski/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS)
Following the deadly Nov. 15 missile crash in Poland, the United States made several fruitless attempts to contact Moscow to discuss the incident, Reuters reported on Nov. 18.
According to the report, Chairman of U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley repeatedly attempted to arrange a phone call with the head of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov.
At the same time, the White House said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan did not contact Russian officials after the tragedy in Poland. Sullivan previously remained in contact with leadership in Moscow, through a series of un-publicized conversations.
Sullivan contacted the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shortly after the incident, urging “restraint” in commenting on the situation as it was developing.
On Nov. 15, during a massive Russian air attack on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine, a missile fell onto the village of Przewodów in the Lublin district of Poland, killing two people.
After that, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki convened an urgent meeting of the National Security and Defense Affairs committee.
Polish President Andrzej Duda later said the missile could have been fired by Ukrainian air defenses as they were intercepting incoming Russian cruise missiles inbound at targets near Poland’s border.
Zelenskyy initially insisted the missile that fell in Przewodów was not Ukrainian.
The White House said that whatever conclusion the investigation reaches, the ultimate responsibility for the incident lies with Moscow, as its missile strikes against Ukraine were the reason for Kyiv launching anti-air missiles in the first place.
By Nov. 17, Ukrainian experts were allowed to examine the crash site in Przewodów.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
