France and the European Union condemned a Russian attack on a passenger train near Poland’s border, warning that the strike highlights the danger of the war spreading closer to EU and NATO territory.
Russian attacks in Ukraine over the weekend, including one that hit a passenger train bound for Poland, were intended to intimidate Europeans, deter support for Kyiv and exploit divisions within Europe, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Monday.
The assault came as Ukraine hosted a major international economic support forum attended by business leaders and diplomatic representatives.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the strikes were designed to frighten Western governments out of supporting Ukraine and urged allies to do the opposite.
A Russian drone struck the engine of a PKP Intercity passenger train traveling to Warsaw on Sunday, about two kilometres from the Polish border. None of the 206 people on board were reported injured.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as deliberate.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called it a desperate act by Russia.
“The strike on a passenger train in Ukraine yesterday shows how desperate Russian President Vladimir Putin has become. He thinks that he can stop us from supporting Ukraine and that he can undermine our unity. He is wrong. Our answer is to increase support,” Rutte told journalists.
Russia said it had targeted railway infrastructure used to move military cargo from European countries.
Other weekend attacks killed at least two people in Kramatorsk. A second day of strikes on the southern port city of Odesa wounded 20 people, including two children.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk chaired an emergency meeting in Warsaw and warned that he expected Russia to escalate the war “in the coming weeks”.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said the escalation should prompt allies to double their support for Ukraine.
Kyiv has meanwhile stepped up long-range strikes on Russian territory, particularly against refineries and logistics depots. The intensified conflict has produced the highest civilian death toll since the early days of the war.
France and the European Union stressed that Russia must not be allowed to intimidate European governments or weaken their support for Kyiv.
Diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine remain uncertain. The Kremlin said further talks could take place in October.