NewsNation National Correspondent Robert Sherman has found himself on the frontlines of some of the world’s biggest stories: from Ukraine to Israel and across the United States. He shares what he’s seeing on the ground. Subscribe to his newsletter: Frontlines with Robert Sherman here.
(NewsNation) — It has been quite the week in the world of foreign affairs. While the news cycle at large has been nonstop, there have been some major developments overseas to get you caught up on.
Poland caught in the fray
Starting off with the situation here in Europe, this week, NATO was put into an unprecedented situation after Russian drones entered Polish airspace during an attack carried out against Ukraine. NATO jets were scrambled and fired their first shots since the war in Ukraine broke out to bring those drones down.
President Trump, during an interview with Fox News today, said, “I’m not gonna defend anybody but they were actually knocked down … but [Putin] shouldn’t be close to Poland anyway.”
Asked whether he’s losing patience with the Russian leader, the president said it’s “running out fast.”
Poland believes the action by Russia was intentional, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk writing: “We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn’t. And we know it.”
The condemnation has been fierce from European leaders, with many now calling for NATO to bolster its defenses in the East and prepare for the possibility of the war one day expanding.
The Kremlin has denied any intent to strike Poland, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplaying the accusations from Polish officials: “As for the rhetoric and statements that we hear from Warsaw, well, actually, there is nothing new there. This rhetoric has been characteristic of almost all European capitals lately. We see its continuation.”
With Russia carrying out military drills in Belarus, Poland has made the decision to shut down its border as a precaution.
While NATO leaders view the response from allies as a success, there is a growing concern that military modernizations will be necessary. Russia’s use of Shahed drones makes some anti-air defense systems obsolete, and leaders of the alliance are discussing how to best protect NATO soil.
The Ukrainians are hoping this moment can lead to NATO making the decision to protect Ukraine’s airspace as well as to serve as an effective buffer. However, this type of action has not been supported by nations such as the United States in the past.
It certainly feels like we’ve reached a watershed moment here in Ukraine. The coming days will be telling.
Israel Strikes Doha
But then, there’s the situation in the Middle East. Using the word “unprecedented” once more, Israel carried out a strike on the Qatari capital of Doha this week to target Hamas leaders.
Israel sent a clear message: No matter where Hamas is or what country they hide in, they are prepared to pursue them to the end.
That message, however, was not well received, namely by Qatar, whose sovereignty was violated.
“This criminal attack constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and a serious threat to the security and safety of the State of Qatar and its people,” the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
President Trump, meanwhile, was also publicly displeased with what he saw. “I’m not thrilled about the whole situation,” the president said.
Axios is reporting the president went so far as to demand Israel not do anything like that ever again.
President Trump told our own Kellie Meyer this week that he did not get a heads-up about the operation from Israel and only found out while missiles were in the air.
The Qatari prime minister is at the White House today as the two nations attempt to patch up their relationship. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to travel to Israel tomorrow before being in the United Kingdom next week for the president’s state visit with King Charles.
The president has vowed to bring down the temperature in these two wars. So far, peace remains elusive.
One thing to watch will be the United Nations General Assembly, where many of the United States’ allies will recognize a Palestinian state. It has been the United States’ long-standing position that they are in favor of a two-state solution but only after the Israelis and Palestinians sort out the issue between themselves first.
The expected actions that will be taken by nations such as the United Kingdom and France will be a rebuff of the United States’ stance.
As an aside, my first book, “Lessons From the Front,” will be hitting shelves soon. Thank you to everyone who has preordered already. For those still interested in doing so, you can place your order through Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Bloomsbury.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.