Bipartisan leaders of the US Helsinki Commission are calling on President Biden to give the green light to NATO member Poland to expand its air defense in Ukrainian skies, helping to shoot down Russian missiles under cover of self-defense, in a letter obtained exclusively by The Hill. .

Reps. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), chairman and ranking member, sent a letter asking Biden “to grant Poland the authority to intercept and neutralize missiles over Ukraine, especially those that threaten to encroach on Ukraine. over Polish airspace.

This request is based on Poland’s desire to use its air defense shields and possibly expand them, which would make it possible to defend its skies against Russian missiles but would also help Ukraine in its defense.

In November 2022, two Polish farmers were killed while an errant Ukrainian missile fell into Polish territory. In March, Russian missiles attack Ukraine briefly crossed in Polish airspace.

Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski proposed the project in September. in an interview with the Financial Times.

And while Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the time that the issue was part of discussions among NATO allies, then-Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg rejected the proposal, saying that she risked becoming “part of the conflict”.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who took office in October, has not yet addressed the issue, and NATO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Closing Ukrainian skies to Russian missiles is one of the biggest challenges of the large-scale war that began in February 2022.

While the United States and its partners have sent air defense battery systems to Ukraine, increasing attacks on the country, particularly against western regions bordering NATO states, are depleting resources and contributing to the instability and insecurity in the country.

Lawmakers on both sides have criticized the Biden administration, saying it has slowed military deliveries to Ukraine in an effort to manage escalation with Russia. The administration also barred Ukraine from using U.S.-supplied weapons to strike deep into Russian territory, fearing that Putin would use them as a pretext to strike NATO allies.

But critics say this cautious approach has only emboldened Putin, who has waged a campaign of gray zone attacks against NATO allies in addition to Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. .

“Despite Russia’s continued escalation through hybrid warfare – airspace violations, attacks on critical infrastructure, and efforts to destabilize democratic institutions – we have been reluctant to confront these threats decisively, allowing for Russia to wage war against the alliance with minimal consequences,” Wilson and Cohen. to write.

“In this context, Poland’s request to intercept and neutralize missiles over Ukraine is both necessary and urgent as a mechanism to support Ukraine and safeguard the front line NATO borders.”

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