Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine proposes joint interception of Russian aerial targets with NATO forces, according to his statement following a meeting with advisors to the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, and Italy.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized the urgent need to finalize security guarantees currently being developed by the advisors, citing Moscow's escalating behavior.
"Russia not only shows no desire to end the war, but resorts to escalation, to real threats to Europe," Zelenskyy said, referencing drone launches into Poland.
"We also discussed our state's readiness to share experience and contribute to NATO's common defense. We propose to jointly intercept all Russian targets," the president said.
The proposal comes amid ongoing discussions about NATO's defensive posture. Earlier, Supreme Allied Commander Europe Christopher Cavoli was asked whether it was time to shoot down Russian targets over western Ukraine as they approach the border. The military leader responded that under the new "Eastern Guardian" operation, the Alliance focuses on defending NATO territory.
Zelenskyy said that security guarantee negotiations must be accelerated, pointing to what he described as Moscow's continued threats to European security through cross-border drone operations.
