Poland and other countries should intercept Russian air targets over Ukraine
Radoslaw Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland (Getty Images)
Poland, along with Ukraine's neighboring partners, is obliged to shoot down Russian missiles that are in Ukrainian airspace before they enter NATO airspace, according to Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.
As Sikorski explained, Poland must ensure the safety of its citizens, despite concerns that intercepting missiles over Ukrainian territory could allegedly drag NATO into a full-scale war between the Russian Federation (RF) 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.
In response to Sikorski's statement, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană stated that NATO must do everything possible to help Ukraine while avoiding escalation. He also added that within the military-political bloc, "we always consult before going into something that could have consequences on all of us."
Violations of Polish airspace during attacks on Ukraine
Back in July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv and Warsaw were working on a mechanism for how Polish air defense could shoot down Russian missiles and drones over Ukrainian territory.
Later, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Poland would consult with its NATO allies and secure their agreement before starting to shoot down enemy aerial targets.
Read more about this initiative and whether it could be implemented soon in the RBC-Ukraine report.
