NATO may intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine next week

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski believes that the issue of intercepting Russian missiles over Ukraine by member states may be raised at the next NATO ministerial meeting. He said this on TVN24. According to Sikorski, the discussion of the possibility of destroying missiles outside of Ukrainian territory should be considered in the context of self-defense. “Next week there will be a regular NATO ministerial meeting. Perhaps this issue will be on the agenda,” the Polish minister said. Sikorski also spoke about relations with Ukraine and commented on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request to shoot down Russian missiles flying towards Poland before they cross the country’s border. He noted that this raises the question of where the right to self-defense begins and ends. “Do we have the right to shoot down such a missile only when it is over our territory? In this case, there is no doubt, but then there may be risks, as happened in Przewodów, where the missile debris caused damage, injured or even killed people,” Sikorski said. He added that there may be different opinions on Ukraine’s request, and this issue requires discussion and agreement among allies. Recently, the U.S. Helsinki Commission asked President Joe Biden to allow Poland to shoot down missiles over Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in July that Ukraine and Poland are working on creating a mechanism that will allow Polish air defense to track missiles and drones over Ukrainian territory. For his part, the Polish Minister of Defense noted that before making such a decision, Warsaw needs to consult with its NATO partners. At the same time, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans stated that the possibility of partner countries shooting down missiles and drones from Russia over Ukraine poses more risks than benefits. He added that this is exactly the type of escalation that NATO allies are trying to prevent. Brekelmans believes that this approach of the partners is also in favor of Ukraine. “We should always look for creative ways to help Ukraine. But we also have to weigh the benefits against the risks in each case. So far, there is no difference. This is the approved decision,” summarized the Dutch Defense Minister.