The Polish general proposes to take the west of Ukraine under the protection of air defense: We have sufficient grounds
Former head of Poland’s National Security Bureau, General Stanislaw Kozei, believes Russian missiles are flying too close to NATO’s borders. This can be used as an argument for the Western air defense to protect the skies over western Ukraine. He told this to the Polish newspaper Onet.
Kozei told reporters that he had no doubt that Russia would emerge from the war in Ukraine clearly weakened. Its strategic capabilities will diminish, its position in the international arena will deteriorate, and living standards will fall sharply. In that sense, it is safe to say that Russia is losing the war, the general said.
But nothing has been decided on the battlefield yet.
“It is very likely that the war will lead to territorial losses for Ukraine. But in terms of state unity, strength of the Ukrainian people, Ukraine’s position in the world or its chances of joining the West – Ukraine has won this conflict, even if it loses territory,” – he said.
“So far, everything is possible. Russia can still win in the Donbass, which will allow it to continue the operation in the direction of Odessa and thus cut off Ukraine from the sea. In this case, Ukraine will lose territory like Poland after the second partition division of ‘Ukraine after the previously occupied Crimea and eastern Donbass,” – he said.
But Kozey stressed that Russia’s victory in the battle for Donbas is not resolved – Ukraine has the potential to push the Russians in certain areas.
“It depends on the West. How determined it will be, how long and how strongly it will support Ukraine. And I’m talking not only about the current form of support, but also, perhaps, more prompt intervention,” – he said.
He believes that NATO should cover the military equipment provided by Western partners on the territory of Ukraine and protect it from the threat of destruction by long-range missiles.
“This is unacceptable. Russian missiles launched from the Black Sea or with the help of strategic aircraft must be shot down at an appropriate distance from this border,” – Kozey said.
“We are talking about dual-use missiles because they are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Given this, we have sufficient grounds to take precautionary measures and tell Russia that one day we will take Ukraine’s west under missile protection if it does not stop attacking our border with long-range missiles,” – Kozey said.
The general stressed that so far Putin has successfully blackmailed the West with escalation – the answer is the same.
“It cannot be that in the confrontation between the two sides only one frightened, set barriers, conditions, red lines,” – he said.
Russia has been firing missiles since the first day of the full-scale invasion. They have repeatedly targeted facilities in the Lviv region bordering Poland. Thus, on May 15, Russia destroyed a military facility near the border with Poland with missiles.
