'Not particularly deep': Trump mocked for response to Russia attack

President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the United States of America Donald Trump have met in Helsinki for their first full-scale summit meeting. Before this, Mr Putin and Mr Trump had met on the sidelines of various international events. Image via Creative Commons.

President Donald Trump is under fire for waiting more than twelve hours before addressing Russia’s unprovoked attack on Poland, a NATO ally, and then delivering a short statement.

Russia launched more than a dozen drones into Poland, in what some critics believe is a testing of the waters to see if and how NATO would respond. Political scientist Ian Bremmer called it “a critical geopolitical test of the alliance from Russia.”

NATO launched numerous fighter jets but none were from the U.S., despite American having troops in Poland.

“NATO fighter jets shot down Russian drones over Poland, the alliance has confirmed,” reported Chris Gordon, Pentagon editor for Air & Space Forces Magazine. “This is the first time NATO planes have engaged potential threats in Allied airspace,” Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, the spokesperson for NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

Wednesday morning at 11:09 AM, President Trump posted this response on his Truth Social website: “What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!”

Journalist Aaron Rupar noted that “it took the president more than 12 hours to come up with this.”

The Bulwark’s Sam Stein added, “After 12 or so hours, we finally get word from Trump on the Russian drone operation in Poland and it is not particularly deep.”

Political commentator Brian Allen remarked, “Trump waited 12 hours just to post ‘Here we go!’ after a NATO country was attacked by Russia. No plan. No leadership. Just another day where the man who once called Putin a ‘genius’ has no clue what Article 4 means. America can’t afford this level of unserious.”

Meanwhile, ABC News reported that “Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski had strong words for Trump during a news conference on Wednesday, telling reporters Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘laughs’ at Trump’s peace efforts.”

“Putin laughs at President Trump’s peace efforts,” Sikorski said. “Since Alaska, he has only intensified the war. I hope that [Trump] backs his words with action.”