Biden offers support for Poland's investigation after reported explosion

WASHINGTON

President Joe Biden offered US support Tuesday for an investigation by Poland into a reported explosion near its border with Ukraine.

The White House said in a statement that Biden spoke with Polish President Andrzej Duda and "expressed deep condolences for the loss of life in eastern Poland earlier this evening."

"President Duda described Poland’s ongoing assessment of the explosion that took place in the eastern part of the country near the border with Ukraine.

"President Biden offered full U.S. support for and assistance with Poland’s investigation," said the statement.

Biden also reaffirmed the US's "ironclad commitment to NATO," said the statement, adding the two leaders and their teams "should remain in close touch to determine appropriate next steps as the investigation proceeds."

The phone call came after reports that two Russian missiles stuck the country's east.

Duda also spoke by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"I had a conversation with President Andrzej Duda. I expressed my condolences for the deaths of Polish citizens as a result of the Russian missile attack. We have listed the available information and explained all the facts. The whole of Europe and the world must be fully protected from terrorist Russia," Zelenskyy wrote after his conversation with Duda.

Before the Duda-Biden and Duda-Zelenskyy talks, phone consultations were held between President Duda and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

"We are in very intensive contact with key allies," said Jacek Siewiera, the head of the National Security Bureau of Poland.

He added that he is in constant contact with Biden’s National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan.

"We had some conversations today about the current situation," he said.

This was confirmed by the spokeswoman of the US National Security Council, Adrienne Watson.

"We have seen reports from Poland and are working with the Polish government to gather more information. Shortly after receiving these reports, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with the head of the Polish National Security Bureau, Jacek Siewiera," Watson said in a statement.

Duda will convene the National Security Council on Wednesday at midday local time to discuss the NATO member’s response to the Russian missiles that killed two Poles on Polish territory Tuesday.

Warsaw said it is considering calling on NATO to trigger Article 4, which permits members of the alliance to call a NATO meeting when they perceive a threat to the “territorial integrity, political independence or security” of any NATO ally.

Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said early Wednesday that the missiles were Russian made.

Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau summoned the Russian ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a demand to provide a detailed immediate explanation.