NATO is discussing the possibility of shooting down Russian missiles over Ukraine: the positions of Lithuania and Poland

Against the background of Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine, during which drones and missiles enter the airspace of NATO countries, the issue of air defense is becoming more and more relevant for the members of the Alliance. The other day, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish President Andrzej Duda, who met at the celebrations for the 455th anniversary of the Union of Lublin, reported active discussions among the allies regarding the possibility of shooting down Russian missiles over Ukrainian territory. Despite the fact that the Ukrainian authorities support this initiative, NATO has different opinions on this matter – from deep concern about “potentially dangerous and irresponsible actions of the Russians” to the initiative to shoot down targets with the help of NATO weapons.

At a joint press conference in Warsaw, the leaders of Lithuania and Poland noted that several countries initiated such discussions, seeking that the decision on the possibility of shooting down the missiles was made at the NATO level.

“NATO countries have started a discussion on this topic. Today we cannot say that the discussion is over or that we have concrete results.” – said Nauseda, whose quoted by Newsweek.ro.

Duda also reported that back in February, during the meeting of the heads of state in Paris, he suggested shooting down Russian missiles and drones over the territory of Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities welcomed this initiative. However, as the Polish president noted, NATO has different views on this issue.

“Russian air targets flying over Ukraine must be shot down from the territory of neighboring NATO countries. Other options for action are not discussed,” Duda stressed.

On September 2, NATO reaffirmed the right of its member states to defend their airspace from attack, but warned of possible consequences for the Alliance if countries start shooting down Russian missiles near the border with Ukraine. The NATO spokesman noted that the Alliance is responsible for preventing the escalation of the war with Russia.

Recently, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski gave a lengthy interview to a leading British newspaper Financial Times, where he expressed the opinion that Poland has an obligation to shoot down Russian missiles over the territory of Ukraine. Sikorsky insisted on the right to shoot down the missiles after a Russian drone entered Polish airspace on August 26. The FT recalled that since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there have already been cases when missiles fell on the territory of Poland, and recently Russian drones entered the airspace of Romania.

Sikorsky estimated that the risk of casualties in Poland increases the closer the intercepted missile is to the target, so it is better to shoot it down at a higher altitude over Ukraine. He confirmed that Kyiv is positive about this proposal. Later, however, the Polish government clarified that this was the minister’s personal opinion.

And what do the Poles think about “flying objects”? Recently conducted survey by SW Research for the Polish publication Rzeczpospolita found that the majority of Polish respondents support the idea of ​​shooting down objects flying over Poland during Russian attacks on Ukraine. 58.5% of respondents spoke in favor of this practice, while 22.1% spoke against it. Another 19.4% of respondents could not decide on an answer.

The FT recalled that this summer Poland signed a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine, according to which both countries undertook to investigate “the possibility of potential interception in Ukrainian airspace of missile and unmanned objects launched in the direction of Polish territory, in accordance with the necessary procedures , agreed by the involved states and organizations”.

Instead, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, whose term ends on October 1, rejected the proposal, saying such actions could lead to the Alliance “becoming part of the conflict.”

According to the Financial Times, some Western officials claim that such a policy blurs the “red lines” regarding Western intervention and may provoke a response from Russia. In turn, Kyiv insists that Western allies become more actively involved in the war, including the provision of air defense over western Ukraine from batteries located on NATO territory.

As noted Defence Express, which specializes in military issues, in general, NATO member states can technically destroy Russian targets that fly into their airspace, while, unfortunately, the Alliance does not give a “green light” for such actions.

Deputy Secretary General of NATO Mircea Joanne told the British publication: “We must do everything we can to help Ukraine and do everything we can to avoid escalation. And it is on this issue that NATO’s line has been consistent since the beginning of the war. Of course, we respect the sovereign right of each ally to ensure its national security. But within We always consult NATO before doing something that could have consequences for all of us – and our Polish allies have always been impeccable in their consultations within the Alliance.”

Mircea Joane reacted restrainedly to the violation of the airspace of Romania by a Russian drone on September 8. IN social networks H he wrote: “NATO condemns Russia’s nighttime violation of Romania’s airspace. Although we have no information about a deliberate attack by Russia against the members of the Alliance, these actions are irresponsible and potentially dangerous..

Specialized Romanian publication Defense Romania communicated with Polish officials, who explained to Romanian journalists why the F-16 fighters of the Polish Air Force do not shoot down Russian missiles and drones, and why these planes are raised in the air on an alert. According to Polish law, a fighter pilot has the right to open fire to attack only after establishing visual contact with an air target that he already sees on the radar. Polish officials admit that these rules limit their ability to adequately respond to Russian provocations. Moscow constantly uses missiles and drones to test NATO’s response and test Poland’s air defense systems. Thus, even if Polish fighters take to the air on alert, their ability to respond to threats may be limited by the need to comply with legal regulations.

Despite the lack of an official decision on “non-intervention”, Lithuania and Poland ready to use the base the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade, located in Poland, for the training of the Ukrainian army. Nauseda noted: “We are ready to use our shared platforms. We have a Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade base in Poland. We are ready to train the Ukrainian army on the basis of this brigade”. President of Poland Duda noted: “Our neighbors from Ukraine are implementing NATO procedures, in particular through service in the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade. They are improving, there is an exchange of experience”.

The Lithuanian president also added that “Ukraine’s victory in the war against Russia is the best guarantee of stability in Europe.”

Therefore, despite the existing contradictions and legal restrictions, Lithuania and Poland continue to actively support Ukraine and consider various ways to strengthen security in the region.