Polish Overseas Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stated Warsaw was contemplating a proposal from Kiev to shoot down Russian missiles nonetheless in Ukrainian airspace heading towards Polish territory.
The proposal is included in a joint protection settlement signed between the 2 international locations throughout President Zelensky’s go to to Warsaw earlier this week.
“At this stage, it is an thought. Our settlement says we are going to discover that concept,” Mr. Sikorski advised the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.
He stated some Russian missiles had been launched from the St. Petersburg space towards Ukrainian targets close to the western metropolis of Lviv, not removed from the Polish border, handed via Belarus and entered Polish airspace for about 40 seconds, after which turned to targets in Ukraine.
Sikorski acknowledged that point was so quick that Poland had little time to react.
In concept, nonetheless, the proposal would cowl any missiles passing via western Ukraine within the course of Poland.
“We’re a frontline nation and Russian missiles violated our airspace. Our assumptions had been improper,” Mr. Sikorski stated.
“Our dilemma is that this. If we solely shoot them down after they enter our airspace, the particles poses a menace to our residents and property.
“The Ukrainians stated, ‘Please, we cannot thoughts, please do that in our airspace when they’re in imminent hazard of coming into Polish territory.
“In my view, that is self-defense, however we’re exploring that concept,” Mr. Sikorski stated.
Sikorski stated that in December 2022, an unarmed Russian missile landed close to his dwelling in Bydgoszcz, about 500 kilometers (311 miles) from the Belarusian border, inflicting no hurt.
A month in the past, Ukraine shot down a Russian missile close to the Polish border, killing two Polish residents by falling particles.
Earlier this week, Polish Protection Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamish stated Warsaw would seek the advice of with its NATO allies and search their consent earlier than making an attempt to shoot down any Russian missiles.
“If there may be such a call, it could possibly solely be an Allied choice. It can by no means be a private choice,” Mr Kosiniak-Kamish advised Polish tv at a NATO summit in Washington.
“The important thing opinion is the USA, which is skeptical about this matter, so Poland will definitely not make such a call by itself,” he added.
Marek Swierczynski, a protection analyst at Polityka Perception, advised the BBC that the thought might be harmful for Poland.
“With out robust ally help, which doesn’t exist, this proposal may be very dangerous,” he stated.
“From the attitude of our air protection belongings and the truth that we is likely to be topic to some sort of response from Russia.”
Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland has supplied Ukraine with 44 packages of weapons and ammunition, together with greater than 250 tanks, MiG-29 fighter jets, fight helicopters, artillery programs and moveable anti-aircraft missile programs, value greater than 40 billion euros ($4.4 billion; £3.4 billion).
Poland plans to supply extra navy help to Ukraine this yr.
