NATO member countries must intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine

Every Ukrainian's heart is breaking from the consequences of the latest attacks on Kharkiv, Sumy, Kryvyi Rih, Kherson, Dnipro, Kyiv, and many other cities in Ukraine. Dozens of people have been killed, hundreds and thousands wounded, and countless houses and infrastructure destroyed. The question remains: “How are we going to survive the winter?” Soon, it will be the third winter of the “Big War,” during which the enemy is trying to make our living conditions unbearable and thus destroy our will to continue resisting until our victory.

Many of us listen to the news with great disgust that our allies have not delivered air defense systems on time (we thank the Romanian government for deciding to supply Patriots) and are delaying the delivery of other promised weapons, such as F-16s. Other states cannot authorize the use of long-range missiles against military targets on enemy territory, claiming that it would lead to “escalation.” Are Ukrainian casualties and Putin's repeated breaches of his own “red lines” - the latest being the presence of Ukrainian troops on Russian territory - not sufficient to warrant a decisive response?

It is the duty of the Polish authorities to ensure the safety of the citizens.

Another question arises when considering why Poland and Slovakia did not intercept Russian missiles targeting Ukraine. During the massive missile attack on Ukraine on August 26, a Russian drone, or perhaps even two, penetrated Polish territory by as much as 30 kilometers. This constituted a significant violation of Polish airspace. The generals claimed that they hesitated to shoot it down because they were unsure whether it was a military object and if it was of Russian origin. Additionally, they cited poor weather conditions that day, making it impossible to "organoleptically determine the nature of the object." However, the number of memes on the Ukrainian internet surged, as the weather and visibility were actually good

Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz added his own opinion, stating that Poland would not shoot down Russian missiles and drones over Ukrainian territory because the Polish government's duty is to ensure the safety of its own citizens.

Fortunately for Poland and for us, this series of unusual statements from Polish authorities was interrupted by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. In an interview with the Financial Times, he stated that Poland and other countries bordering Ukraine are simply “obliged” to intercept Russian missiles before they enter their airspace.

He added that his country must ensure the safety of its citizens, despite concerns that intercepting missiles over Ukrainian territory “could draw NATO into a war between Russia and Ukraine.

“Being a member of NATO does not negate the responsibility of each country to protect its own airspace - it is our constitutional duty. Personally, I believe that when enemy missiles are heading toward our airspace, shooting them down is legitimate self-defense. Once they cross our airspace, the risk of someone being injured by debris is significant,” argued the head of Polish diplomacy.

Sikorski is well aware of Polish public opinion. According to recent opinion polls, 58% of Poles believe that Poland should intercept objects flying over its territory during Russia's attack on Ukraine, even if it is not certain what those objects are.

This is a case where both ordinary people and astute politicians know exactly what to do and how to do it, for their own safety and for a quicker victory over Russia.