As Russian drone strikes continue to cross borders and rattle NATO’s eastern flank, Poland’s foreign minister is calling on the alliance to consider a bold step: a no-fly zone over Ukraine. He says it could shield civilians in both Ukraine and neighboring countries from Russian drone strikes.
Poland: Intercept drones before they cross into borders
Radoslaw Sikorski told Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that such a decision could only be made jointly with allies. He added that if Ukraine were to request it, the alliance should weigh intercepting drones before they cross into allied skies, reducing the danger of debris falling on populations.
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“If you ask me personally, I think we should consider it,” Sikorski said. “Technically, we as NATO and the EU would be capable of it, but this is not a decision that Poland can make alone, only with its allies.”
Russia threatens war over proposal
The response from Moscow was swift and severe.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chair of the Security Council, wrote on Telegram that establishing a NATO-enforced no-fly zone would amount to starting a war with Russia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov echoed that view, saying the West’s military support already shows NATO is effectively engaged in the conflict.
Moscow, meanwhile, continues to tie any settlement to sweeping conditions, including Ukraine surrendering large areas of land, limiting its armed forces, and pledging never to join NATO.
What sparked the debate?
The renewed push for a no-fly zone follows a series of Russian drone incursions.
Last week, Polish officials reported 19 airspace violations during Russian strikes on Ukraine, including three drones shot down by NATO jets.
Days later, Romania scrambled fighter jets after a Russian drone crossed into its airspace – further intensifying calls for stronger defensive measures.
What are the risks for NATO?
U.S. and European leaders have long resisted creating a no-fly zone, warning that it could draw NATO forces into direct confrontation with Russian aircraft. Britain’s defense secretary at the start of the war, Ben Wallace, cautioned that such a step could spark “a war across Europe.”
Instead, NATO announced Operation Eastern Sentry, a multi-domain effort to reinforce defenses along the alliance’s eastern flank in response to recent violations, with an undisclosed duration.
