Polish FM revives call to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has called for a serious discussion on whether Russian missiles targeting Ukraine could be intercepted over Ukrainian territory, arguing that the issue should not be caught up in domestic political disputes.

“The question of whether we can be certain that it would be better to shoot down these Russian missiles over Ukraine rather than, perhaps, later over Poland is a matter for very serious discussion, which must not become hostage to rivalry between parties,” Sikorski said.

He made the remarks during an interview with Polish media while discussing the provision of interceptor missiles for Patriot air-defence systems to Ukraine.

Sikorski was responding to comments by former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, a leader of the Law and Justice party’s “Development Plus” grouping. Morawiecki recently said he did not support transferring another batch of missiles for Patriot batteries to Ukraine and suggested that the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) could “perhaps” be dissolved.

Discussing the situation, Sikorski said that “ballistic missiles, against which there is currently no defence, have been flying at Kyiv for several days in a row,” and are “killing people in ever greater numbers.”

He argued that the question of whether intercepting Russian missiles over Ukraine could provide greater protection for Poland warrants careful consideration rather than becoming part of a partisan political dispute.

Sikorski has previously raised the possibility of NATO countries intercepting Russian missiles over western Ukraine near the alliance’s borders. The proposal was discussed ahead of the NATO summit in Washington in 2024 but did not gain support.

Polish officials have previously stressed that any such decision would require consensus among NATO members.

By Vafa Guliyeva