EditLavrov expresses concern over “terrorist attacks” following Poland’s statements about Putin’s plane
Sikorski said that if the Kremlin leader were to use Polish airspace, the plane carrying him could be forced to land
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that remarks by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski regarding Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s plane may signal Poland’s readiness to carry out terrorist attacks, according to EUalive’s partner publication, European Pravda.
Lavrov was responding to Sikorski’s comment that the safety of the Russian aircraft would not be guaranteed during a hypothetical flight through Polish airspace en route to Budapest for a meeting with the U.S. president.
“The Poles are now themselves ready to carry out terrorist acts,” Lavrov said, as quoted by the Russian daily Kommersant.
He also referenced a Polish court’s decision not to extradite Ukrainian national Volodymyr Zhuravlev to Germany, where Zhuravlev is suspected of sabotaging the Nord Stream pipeline.
“Officially, the court has made a decision that justifies the terrorist attack,” Lavrov said.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski did not rule out the possibility that, if the Kremlin leader were to use Polish airspace on his way to Budapest, the plane carrying him could be forced to land.
Sikorski noted that he could not guarantee “an independent court would not oblige the Polish government to detain the plane with Vladimir Putin on board.
“Earlier, the EU’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, described the situation as unpleasant, given that Putin—for whom the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant—might travel to meet with Trump on EU territory.
Polish diplomatic circles consider it unlikely that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin would choose to fly over Polish territory to attend a meeting with the U.S. president in Budapest.
Moreover, such a meeting appears increasingly unlikely to occur anytime soon.
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Aviation experts appearing on French TV channel LCI commented that attempts to put down Putin’s plane en route to Budapest represent a realistic scenario. In particular, they noted that Putin’s aircraft would likely avoid Black Sea airspace, opting instead to fly over Turkish territory before entering Hungary via Bulgaria or Montenegro.
The experts added that Ukraine has designated Putin as a legitimate target and that his plane could be attacked not only by official Ukrainian forces but also by fringe groups.
With additional reporting by g.g.
Caption: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski attends a joint press conference with Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs David van Weel (not pictured) following the inauguration of the 34th edition of the Utrecht Conference, at the Royal Lazienki Park in Warsaw, Poland, 13 October 2025. EPA/PAWEL SUPERNAK
Updated: October 22, 2025 - 06:46
