Poland is contemplating a proposal from Ukraine to intercept Russian rockets that are on course to hit cities in Ukraine or enter Polish territory. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski revealed this information during a speech at the American Enterprise Institute on the sidelines of the NATO summit.
Sikorski highlighted that Russian missiles breach Polish airspace, presumably by mistake. Some missiles fired from around St. Petersburg traverse the Polish border through Belarusian airspace, briefly entering Polish airspace for about 40 seconds before reaching targets in Ukraine.
The dilemma faced by Poland is the risk posed by debris if they only shoot down the missiles when they enter their airspace. The Ukrainians have suggested allowing interception over their airspace when the missiles are in imminent danger of crossing into Polish territory.
During a recent visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Warsaw, a security cooperation agreement was signed between the two countries, which included discussions on the possibility of Poland intercepting Russian missiles.
Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that any decision regarding intercepting Russian missiles would require approval from NATO allies. He stated that Poland would not take such action unilaterally without NATO's support.
However, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg indicated reservations about NATO's direct involvement in the conflict. Stoltenberg mentioned that NATO would not become a party to the conflict and would not engage directly in intercepting Russian missiles.
