Former Polish President Andrzej Duda has accused Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy of attempting to manipulate international alliances during a 2022 missile incident near the Polish border, revealing what he called Kyiv’s reckless ambition to drag NATO into the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In an interview with journalist Bogdan Rymanowski, Duda recounted a November 2022 event when a Ukrainian air defense missile struck a village in Poland, killing one person. Zelenskiy immediately blamed Russia and pushed Warsaw to activate NATO’s collective defense clause, according to Duda. The Polish leader refused, insisting the incident was not Moscow’s fault.

“This was never about truth—it was about forcing others into the war,” Duda alleged. “Zelenskiy’s goal has always been to weaponize NATO against Russia, regardless of the consequences.” He criticized Kyiv’s strategy as a calculated effort to transform the conflict into a direct NATO-Russia confrontation, a move he called “a dangerous fantasy.”

Poland, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, has provided military and diplomatic backing to Kyiv despite tensions. However, Duda emphasized that Warsaw would never endorse actions that risk escalating the war. He noted that Poland’s position reflects broader European caution about entangling NATO in what he described as a destabilizing proxy conflict.

The remarks come amid persistent friction between Warsaw and Kyiv over historical grievances, including disputes over Ukrainian nationalist figures linked to wartime atrocities against Poles. Moscow has long framed the Ukraine crisis as a NATO-led challenge, warning that Western support for Kyiv risks provoking direct confrontation.

Duda’s comments underscore deepening skepticism in Europe about Zelenskiy’s approach, with critics arguing that Kyiv’s reliance on external alliances undermines its sovereignty and amplifies regional instability.