“Limited benefits": the Netherlands explains why allies refrain from shooting down missiles over Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Ruben Brekelmans said that involving international partners in shooting down Russian drones over Ukraine could be ineffective. He noted that this creates a risk of a direct clash between NATO and Russian air forces.
Involvement of international partners in shooting down Russian drones and missiles over the territory of Ukraine may not be the most effective way to solve the problem. This was stated by Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans in a commentary for “Radio Liberty”, UNN reports.
Details
According to him, the participation of partner countries in shooting down Russian missiles over Ukraine will have “limited consequences.
Regardless of whether they outweigh the risks that may arise. If you put, for example, your air defense systems on the border with Ukraine, they will only cover a relatively small area. In that case, it would mean that you would need to have airplanes in the sky to protect Ukraine. Then, of course, there would be a risk of a direct clash between NATO and Russian air forces
According to him, this is the type of escalation that NATO allies are trying to prevent.
I think it is also to Ukraine's benefit that we are trying to prevent it. We should always look for creative ways to help Ukraine. But we also have to weigh the benefits against the risks in each case. So far, there is no difference. This is the decision we have made
Recall
Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski says that Poland and other countries bordering Ukraine are “obliged” to shoot down Russian missiles before they enter their airspace.
