NATO, led by the United States, has stated that it does not intend to directly participate in the Ukraine conflict, according to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has ruled out the possibility of Poland intercepting Russian missiles over Ukrainian territory, emphasizing that the alliance does not want to become directly involved in the conflict with Moscow.
Kiev has urged NATO member Warsaw to utilize its air defense capabilities to protect western Ukraine without relocating the systems from Polish soil. This proposal was part of a recent Polish-Ukrainian bilateral security agreement and was reportedly discussed at last week’s NATO summit in Washington.
In an interview conducted on the sidelines of the event for Ukrainian state television, Stoltenberg confirmed that NATO’s stance remains unchanged, and that the best Kiev can expect is assistance in targeting Russian warplanes through weapon systems operated by Ukrainian forces.
The notion of NATO intercepting Russian missiles over Ukraine was previously rejected by member states, including Poland. Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has affirmed that Warsaw will not engage Russian missiles without the support of other members.
“If NATO does not make such a decision, Poland will not make it individually,” the minister stated.
US national security advisor Jake Sullivan asserted that providing air defenses to Kiev is “by far and away the best method of stopping the Russian aerial attacks,” when addressing Poland’s position last week.
Moscow has characterized the Ukraine conflict as a US-led proxy war, implicating NATO nations in every aspect except direct combat with Russian forces on the battlefield. Western nations, by being de facto participants in the hostilities, share responsibility for Ukrainian war crimes, according to Russian officials.