September 12, 2025
Drones over Poland with Doug Lute and Kurt Volker
In the early hours of September 10th, Polish authorities detected 19 Russian drones over Polish airspace. This incident represents a major escalation, with Poland triggering Article 4 of the NATO Treaty. At a minimum, this was an attempt by Russia to get European nations to back down from their support for Ukraine and to expose the Alliance as a paper tiger. The attack also provided the Kremlin with key insights into Poland and NATO's air defenses and its chain of response. So how do we understand what happened and what needs to happen?
To answer those very hard questions, we're very fortunate to have Doug Lute and Kurt Volker with us.
Ambassador (Ret.) Douglas Lute served as the United States Ambassador to NATO from 2013–2017.
Ambassador (Ret.) Kurt Volker served as the United States Ambassador to NATO from 2008–2009 and as the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations from 2017–2019.
More from CNAS
-
Transatlantic Tumult at Davos
Podcast
It has been a tumultuous month in the transatlantic alliance. This week, President Donald Trump’s demands to take control of Greenland reached a fever pitch. On Sunday, Presid...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Has Europe Reached Breaking Point with Trump?
Video
Yalda Hakim is at Davos where the president insisted that America must have Greenland. He has announced a framework has been agreed with NATO, but that the details still need ...
By Richard Fontaine
-
Richard Fontaine on Trump Admin’s Drive to Aquire Greenland
Podcast
On today’s Strategy Series program Richard Fontaine, the president and CEO of the Center for a New American Security, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian...
By Richard Fontaine
-
How Might Have NATO Appeased Trump over Greenland?
Video
Donald Trump has backed down from his threat to impose tariffs on European countries, saying he has agreed to a "framework of a future deal" on Greenland. Jim Townsend from th...
By Jim Townsend
