Allowing the air defense forces of neighboring countries to intercept Russian missiles and drones in Ukrainian airspace should be a step towards collective security. Ukraine has been asking for this for a long time, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, commenting on today's violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones, UNN reports.
According to him, Putin is testing the West for strength, and the weakness of the response provokes him.
"Russian drones that flew into Poland during a massive attack on Ukraine indicate that Putin's sense of impunity continues to grow, as he has not been properly punished for his previous crimes.
Putin continues to escalate, expand the war, and test the West for strength. The longer he does not receive force in response, the more aggressive he becomes.
A weak response now will provoke Russia even more – and then Russian missiles and drones will fly even further into Europe.
This situation indicates that a decision must finally be made that will allow the use of the air defense capabilities of neighboring countries to intercept drones and missiles in Ukrainian airspace, including those approaching NATO borders.
Ukraine has long proposed such a step. It must be taken for the sake of collective security," the minister's statement reads.
Sybiha emphasized that this is also a call to partners to urgently strengthen Ukraine's air defense and better protect itself from the growing number of Russian drones and missiles that regularly attack Ukraine.
"In addition, sanctions must be strengthened without delay. Putin will only take peace talks seriously when he faces serious transatlantic pressure. The Russian war machine must be stopped – and it can only be stopped by force, not by weakness," the minister said.
Recall
On the night of September 10, Russian attack drones flew into Polish airspace. This happened during a massive air attack on Ukraine. Due to this, the airport in Rzeszów was closed, and the airspace over Lublin airport was also closed.
The head of the country's government, Donald Tusk, confirmed the information about opening fire on objects that violated the country's airspace. Some drones were shot down.
The Polish authorities also announced that reservists of the Territorial Defense Forces may receive a summons for accelerated appearance in 10 voivodeships of the country.