Zelenskyy on Poland shooting down Russian missiles: These are red lines, but we work on it
Poland can shoot down Russian missiles flying towards its territory and threatening Ukrainian gas storage facilities, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to the President, Ukraine is already working on this issue and has taken the first step toward its implementation. However, there are certain nuances at the moment.
"From the very beginning, these were 'red lines' for certain partners. Not everyone considers them 'red lines,' but the decisive voice still had to be unified. Although we have started working on a bilateral level," he said.
In Zelenskyy's opinion, this issue is not only about the security of NATO member Poland but also about the safety of people in Poland. Because a missile could land there and cause a tragedy.
"We just have different opinions on this matter. And I think it would be fair. For the security of the western part of our state, where there are gas storage facilities, and for Poland, because it is the same direction for Russian missiles. I think it is absolutely fair if Poland helps us shoot down missiles that are heading toward Poland," Zelenskyy said.
He noted that this also concerns missiles heading towards Ukraine's gas storage facilities, which are often the targets of attack. Zelenskyy pointed out that the countries skeptical of this idea are those that use gas from Ukraine's storage facilities.
"It seems to me that this skepticism should decrease because if we do not protect our gas storage facilities, these countries will be left without gas during the heating season. Our closest neighbors. We have signed bilateral security guarantees with Poland, which include technical consideration of this issue. We raised this topic and addressed it legally," he emphasized.
Poland could shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine
Recently, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine and Poland are working together on a mechanism under which Polish air defense will shoot down Russian missiles and drones over Ukrainian territory.
In response, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Warsaw would consult with its NATO allies on this matter. For more details, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.