NATO warns Poland of potential 'consequences' if it decides to intercept Russian missiles
Illustrative photo: NATO warned Poland of potential "consequences" if it decides to intercept Russian missiles (Getty Images)
NATO stated that the shooting down of Russian missiles by Poland over Ukrainian territory could have consequences for the entire North Atlantic Alliance, Europa Press informs.
According to a source of the news agency, the Alliance "is responsible for preventing further escalation of Russia's war" and "is not a party to the conflict and will not become a party to the conflict" in Ukraine.
The source also stated that each member of the Alliance has the right to defend its airspace but warned that actions by individual states in support of Ukraine "could also impact NATO as a whole."
What preceded
According to the Financial Times, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that Poland, along with Ukraine's neighboring partners, is obligated to intercept Russian missiles that are in Ukrainian airspace before they enter NATO airspace.
Sikorski mentioned that Poland must ensure the safety of its citizens despite concerns that intercepting missiles over Ukrainian territory could potentially drag NATO into a full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine.
“Membership in NATO does not trump each country’s responsibility for the protection of its own airspace — it’s our own constitutional duty... I’m personally of the view that, when hostile missiles are on course of entering our airspace, it would be legitimate self-defense [to strike them] because once they do cross into our airspace, the risk of debris injuring someone is significant,” he added.
Later, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Paweł Wroński clarified that Sikorski’s statement on the need to intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine was his personal opinion, not the government’s position.
