The United States and its NATO allies are looking into a tense situation developing in Poland, where the government says two people were killed in an explosion just inside the border with Ukraine.
According to Polish officials, a Russian-made missile exploded within the country's borders, killing two people.
The incident led President Joe Biden to convene an emergency meeting of G7 and NATO allies, with the president saying that it is "unlikely" that the missile was fired from Russia.
Still, the incident and its impact on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine raised anxiety at Chicago’s Copernicus Center, a fixture of life in the city's Polish-American community.
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Agatha Kopacka lives in Naperville, but her parents and sisters live in Poland.
“I’m super afraid what could happen,” said Kopacka. “The news was devastating.”
Michael Niedzinski is president of the Polish-American Congress' Illinois division. He’s hoping things remain calm until its determined who’s responsible for the deadly blast, and if it was accidental or intentional.
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“If it is a deliberate attack – we will see what will be the reaction of the NATO countries and see if there’s an explanation on the part of Russia,” said Niedzinksi.
Polish leaders convened an emergency security and defense meeting and agreed to increase its military readiness. They also said that it was possible that the nation would invoke Article 4 of the NATO Charter, which would call for immediate meetings among members of the alliance.
On Twitter, Biden promised full U.S support for and assistance with Poland’s investigation into the explosion.
Biden said that he briefed the allies on his conversations with Duda and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and that there was “Total unanimity among the folks at the table” to support Poland’s investigation into the attack, according to NBC News.
