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Ukraine intends to put forward a proposal before NATO for the creation of an international alliance that would shoot down Russian missiles flying into the embattled nation's airspace.
Knewz.com has learned that President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned the proposal to reporters in Ukraine on August 4.
"We must work on the technical possibility of using combat aircraft from neighboring countries against (Russian) missiles that hit Ukraine in the direction of our neighbors. Foremost, the countries of the alliance," Zelensky told reporters on the occasion of the Day of the Armed Forces.
The President urged diplomats to facilitate a NATO-Ukraine Council meeting where he intends to officially discuss the matter with the Alliance.
"I want to try this tool so that NATO countries can discuss with Ukraine the possibility of such a small coalition of neighboring countries that will shoot down enemy missiles (over Ukraine)," Zerlensky was quoted as saying.
He further mentioned that to task a singular allied state to help Ukraine shoot down Russian missiles flying over its territory would impose a rather "heavy responsibility" on the state.
Therefore, he believes building a small coalition – after discussing the matter with NATO – might be the way to go.
He added that the decision to join such an alliance is "probably difficult for partners, because they are always afraid of unnecessary escalation."
"But we are fighting it and we will work. We have a good version of the 'Ukraine-NATO Council.' I gave the appropriate task to our diplomats to work with NATO to have such a meeting, to work out a date when we can discuss this very issue," the President told reporters on August 4.
He further said in his address that he believes a small coalition of states to help Ukraine deter missile threats from Russia is "definitely necessary."
It is worth noting that a similar proposal was put forward by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Minister of Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamys in a security cooperation agreement between Ukraine and Poland that was signed on July 8.
Per one of the clauses of the agreement, the two nations pledged to “examine the rationale and feasibility of possible intercepting in Ukraine’s airspace missiles and UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] fired in the direction of the territory of Poland” bilaterally and with the assistance of other countries.
Currently, Poland has permission to shoot down Russian missiles crossing its own airspace as projectiles fired by Russia have shown a long track record of trespassing into Polish territory while targeting Ukraine.
During the recent NATO summit in Washington, Radosław Sikorski, the Foreign Minister of Poland, also floated the idea of Poland intercepting Russian missiles that are still in Ukrainian airspace but are approaching Polish territory.
It was reported at the time that Prime Minister Tusk emphasized that the idea would only be considered upon NATO approval.
However, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg turned down Poland's proposal, saying that the alliance cannot risk getting involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict "directly."
The Alliance feared that targeting Vladimir Putin's aerial capabilities over Ukrainian territory – especially under approval from NATO – would escalate the conflict internationally, according to reports.
"NATO’s policy remains unchanged – we will not participate in this conflict. We will not become part of the conflict. So, we [will continue to] support Ukraine in destroying Russian aircraft, but NATO will not be involved directly," Stoltenberg was quoted as saying in a statement to Ukrainian media on July 14.