NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has rejected Poland's request for permission to intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine that are heading toward Polish territory.
Stoltenberg said that the alliance cannot risk getting involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict "directly," Knewz.com has learned.
NATO has made significant strides in ensuring support and aid for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. However, the Alliance has not changed its position regarding committing actions that might insinuate a direct conflict between NATO and Vladimir Putin, fearing severe international escalation of the Ukraine war.
The proposal was put forward by Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Polish Minister of Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamys in a security cooperation agreement between Ukraine and Poland that was signed on July 8.
Per one of the clauses of the agreement, the two nations pledged to “examine the rationale and feasibility of possible intercepting in Ukraine’s airspace missiles and UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] fired in the direction of the territory of Poland” bilaterally and with the assistance of other countries.
Prime Minister Tusk emphasized that the idea will only be considered if it is approved by NATO, it has been reported.
During the recent NATO summit in Washington, Radosław Sikorski, the Foreign Minister of Poland, floated the idea of Poland intercepting Russian missiles that are still in Ukrainian airspace but are approaching Polish territory.
"The Ukrainians are saying, ‘Please, we will not mind, do it over our airspace when they’re in imminent danger of crossing into Polish territory.’ To my mind, that’s self-defence, but we are exploring the idea," Sikorski was quoted as saying.
However, speaking to Ukrainian media outlets on July 14, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg turned the proposal down.
Currently, Poland has permission to shoot down Russian missiles crossing its own airspace as the Kremlin's aerial strikes have shown a long track record of trespassing into Polish territory while targeting Ukraine.
In March 2024, the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command stated that a Russian cruise missile entered the airspace of Poland "near the town of Oserdow (Lublin Voivodeship) and stayed there for 39 seconds," it was reported at the time.
But to target Putin's aerial capabilities over Ukrainian territory – especially under approval from NATO – will escalate the conflict internationally, the alliance fears.
"NATO’s policy remains unchanged – we will not participate in this conflict. We will not become part of the conflict. So, we [will continue to] support Ukraine in destroying Russian aircraft, but NATO will not be involved directly," Stoltenberg was quoted as saying in a statement to Ukrainian media.
Stoltenberg added in his statement that although he rejected the proposal from the Polish Prime Minister and Defense Minister, the Washington NATO summit guaranteed significant support and military aid for Ukraine.
For starters, the summit finally ensured the immediate transfer of F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands and Denmark, something that has been in the works for the better part of a year and previously faced significant delays.
The White House released a joint statement regarding the same on July 10, which read:
"We are committed to further enhancing Ukraine’s air capabilities, which will include squadrons of modern fourth generation F-16 multi-role aircraft. The coalition intends to support their sustainment and armament, as well as further associated training for pilots to enhance operational effectiveness."
Furthermore, NATO made efforts to make the Ukrainian airspace even more secure by providing the embattled nation with additional advanced air defense systems like the Patriot and NASAMS.