NATO Leaders Debate Potential for Shooting Down Russian Missiles Over Ukraine

NATO is currently discussing the possibility of shooting down Russian missiles over Ukraine by Allied air defenses.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Polish President Andrzej Duda stated this during a joint press conference on Wednesday in Warsaw, according to Ukrinform news agency.

Several countries are initiating such discussions and want this decision to be made at the NATO level.

“NATO countries have launched a discussion on this topic. Today we cannot say that the discussion is over or that we have any concrete results,” Nausėda said.

Duda noted that in February, during a meeting of heads of state in Paris, he put forward a proposal to shoot down Russian missiles and drones over the territory of Ukraine.

He noted that such an initiative was welcomed by the Ukrainian authorities.

However, as Duda noted, NATO leaders have different views on this issue.

“And this issue is being discussed all the time,” Duda stated.

He emphasized that Russian air targets flying over Ukraine should be downed from the territory of NATO countries, and that no other options for action are being discussed.

On September 2, NATO acknowledged the right of its member states to defend their airspace from attacks, but cautioned about the potential consequences for the Alliance as a whole if countries begin shooting down Russian missiles near the Ukrainian border.

The NATO spokesman stated that the Alliance has a responsibility to prevent further escalation of Russia’s war. NATO is not a party to the conflict and will not become part of the conflict, he added. He warned that if allies shoot down Russian missiles, it will have consequences for the entire Alliance.

Previously, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski recently said that Poland needs to shoot down Russian missiles over the territory of Ukraine.