Polish officials said that Warsaw expects the country to be able to shoot down Russian missiles in Ukrainian airspace.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski expressed hope that NATO would allow Warsaw to use its air defense systems to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine if they pose a threat to Poland.
According to Paweł Wroński, a spokesman for the Polish Foreign Ministry, Mr. Sikorski had previously called for NATO forces to intercept Russian missiles headed toward Poland over Ukrainian territory. However, he “faced a lot of criticism within NATO” for this stance.
“As we know, NATO countries and the United States have expressed a negative view of this initiative. But Minister Sikorski hopes that this position will change,” said Mr. Wroński.
Earlier, Western media reported that a bipartisan group of US lawmakers urged President Joe Biden to allow Poland to use its air defense system to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukrainian airspace.
“It’s good to see both Republicans and Democrats supporting Poland’s proposal,” Mr. Sikorski said afterward.
In August, Kiev said it would discuss with NATO countries the creation of an alliance to shoot down Russian missiles on Ukrainian territory.
In September, NATO warned that any member of the bloc should not shoot down Russian missiles or drones in Ukraine because NATO did not want to directly engage in a conflict with Moscow.
“NATO is not currently a party to the current conflict and will not be,” a NATO spokesman said, stressing the bloc’s responsibility to prevent escalation.
While each member of the bloc has the right to defend its airspace, they should “carefully consult” with others when doing so, as it could affect the entire NATO, he said.
Ukraine has repeatedly asked the West to shoot down Russian missiles and drones in its airspace, as its air defense system has been weakened.
Mr. Sikorski has previously supported the idea of shooting down Russian targets in the skies over Ukraine.
“When an adversary’s missile is on its way into our airspace, shooting it down is a legitimate act of self-defense. Once it enters our airspace, the risk of debris injuring someone is very high,” Mr. Sikorski said.
Warsaw and Kiev signed a defense pact in July that includes discussions on the rationale and feasibility of intercepting Russian missiles and drones, but Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has insisted that this would not be done without NATO approval.
NATO, on the other hand, said it respects the sovereignty of every member in ensuring national security, but the parties need to consult before doing anything that could have consequences for the whole bloc.
