Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany Oleksii Makeev has called for the protection of western Ukraine from Russian air attacks from NATO territory, according to Der Standard.
He notes that Russian missiles and drones should be intercepted by systems located on the other side of the Ukrainian border in neighboring countries. He cited Israel's defense against Iranian missile attacks as an example.
Makeev adds that Ukraine is currently under constant attack from Russian air strikes.
“With every kilometer they occupy in Ukraine, they are one kilometer closer to the EU,” the ambassador warns.
The ambassador argues that the defense of western Ukraine's airspace from the outside is technically possible and legally permissible. He refers to the successful defense against the Iranian air attack on Israel in April, which involved the United States, the United Kingdom, Jordan, and other countries.
Under international law, the UN Charter states that a country under attack can defend itself. Third countries are allowed to assist the country under attack without becoming a target.
Protecting skies over western Ukraine
Since the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has repeatedly asked the West for help in air defense. Kyiv has asked for systems capable of shooting down Russian missiles, but the Alliance has been in no hurry to take this step, fearing an escalation of the war.
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recalled that Poland, which borders Ukraine, regularly takes its planes into the air during massive shelling. However, according to Zelenskyy, these actions do not help to protect Ukrainian skies from Russian missiles.
In addition, Germany has proposed to use NATO air defense systems deployed on the eastern borders of the Alliance to protect the western regions of Ukraine.
Earlier, German media reported that the Alliance was discussing closing the skies in western Ukraine, but no decision has been made yet.