German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's call for Western allies to shoot down Russian missiles and drones over the territory of Ukraine, dpa reports, UNN writes.
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At the European Political Community (EPC) summit near Oxford in the UK, Scholz said that such a move, as well as Zelenskyy's request to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western weapons in Russia, "is a matter of time.
"There must be a collective will to shoot them down, as was the case with Iranian missiles and drones," Zelenskyy said at the meeting, which was attended by dozens of European prime ministers and presidents.
Missiles and drones are not carriers of state sovereignty, Zelenskiy said. "These steps need to be taken," he said, mentioning the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and Poland by name.
"Your bravery can be crucial for the world," Zelensky added, addressing the leaders directly.
He also demanded greater freedom in the use of Western weapons on Russian territory.
Ukraine's Western allies, the newspaper points out, reacted differently to Zelensky's demands on Thursday.
Germany's Scholz said he sees a "consensus" that shooting down Russian missiles and allowing Ukraine to hit targets in Russia is "out of the question.
"The United States is also very clear on this issue," he added.
In contrast to Scholz, the new British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said that he opposes restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western weapons.
"It is important for Ukraine to make its own decisions about its operations as long as it is fighting this war and its young men and women are on the front lines," Lummi said.
"However, the prospect of NATO allies shooting down Russian missiles seems far-fetched," as outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg rejected the proposal last week, the newspaper notes.
"We will not become a party to the conflict. That is why we support Ukraine in destroying Russian aircraft, but NATO will not be directly involved," Stoltenberg said.