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Two security signals from Kyiv and Warsaw
Summary
On 28 March 2018, a former Ukrainian president urged consideration of military action against Russia, while Poland signed a Patriot missile deal with the United States.
What did Ukraine's neighbourhood say about security on 28 March 2018? Two developments pointed in the same direction: concern about Russia and investment in air defence.
In reactions to the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko called for military action against Russia to be considered. Yushchenko was himself the victim of a September 2004 poisoning, which gave his comments a personal dimension.
The same day, Poland signed a deal with the United States to buy a Patriot missile system for US$4.75 billion. The agreement was a major element of Polish–American relations on that date.
The two items were separate. One was a political reaction to a poisoning case; the other was a procurement contract. Taken together, they showed security thinking in Ukraine and Poland on 28 March 2018 running from rhetoric about confronting Russia to concrete defence spending.
