Central European foreign ministers meet to debate security issues following drone incident

Foreign ministers from five Central European countries meeting in the C5 format—Czechia, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, and Slovenia—have condemned the recent drone incursion into Polish airspace. The C5 talks focused on the war in Ukraine, EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, illegal migration, transatlantic relations, and developments in the Middle East. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský described the drone incident as a clear Russian provocation, stressing that only tougher sanctions can force President Vladimir Putin to alter course. He also reiterated a Czech proposal to restrict the movement of Russian diplomats –who are often Russian agents with diplomatic cover - within the Schengen area.