Speaking at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, Sikorski explained that some Russian missiles fired from the St. Petersburg area towards targets near Lviv in western Ukraine briefly enter Polish airspace for about 40 seconds before turning back towards Ukraine, as reported by the BBC.
The proposal would theoretically cover any missile traversing western Ukraine in the direction of Poland. This idea was included in a joint defense agreement signed during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent visit to Warsaw.
Sikorski highlighted the dilemma faced by Poland: shooting down missiles only when they enter Polish airspace could result in debris threatening Polish citizens and property. The Ukrainian proposal suggests intercepting these missiles over Ukrainian territory when they are at imminent risk of crossing into Poland.
However, Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that Poland will not intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine without NATO approval, particularly the United States, which is reportedly skeptical of the idea. Polish officials fear that without robust allied support, the proposal could be very risky for Poland, potentially exposing the country to Russian retaliation.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has provided significant military assistance to Ukraine, including tanks, fighter jets, and various weapon systems worth over €4 billion. The discussion comes in the wake of past incidents involving Russian missiles near Polish territory and following the deadly Russian missile strike on the leading Kyiv children’s hospital Okhmatdyt.
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