Poland and Greece call EU to establish common air shield for Ukraine
In a letter to the European Commission, Donald Tusk and Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for a common European air shield amid growing concerns over missile threats.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis have sent a letter to the European Commission calling for the creation of a Europe-wide air defense system, Tusk said in an interview with TVP Info on 23 May.
According to Reuters, Tusk said, “I sent a letter to the European Commission, together with (Greek) Prime Minister Mitsotakis, regarding a common European defense policy.”
Tusk emphasized the urgency of such a measure, citing the threat of missiles entering Polish airspace due to its proximity to the war in Ukraine. “There is already a very positive reaction from the European Commission to make anti-missile air defense a common task for Europe because it is a huge amount of money,” he added.
The Polish leader advocated for increased cooperation and joint investments among European nations in developing air defense systems rather than fragmented efforts.
Tusk further underscored the necessity of a robust, unified European defense policy to prevent future conflicts. “Only a strong, united Europe that pursues a common defense policy… will be able to prevent war. We are preparing for war not because this war is going to happen, but so that it won’t happen,” he said, according to reports.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy highlighted Ukraine’s lack of sufficient air defense protection. He called upon world leaders to take a stronger stance against Russian terrorism and support Ukraine in its efforts to protect its citizens.
Earlier, Zelenskyy called on the international community to provide two Patriot air defense systems to protect cities with critical infrastructure.
Read also:
- Europeans largely support humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine, survey shows
- The NYT: US debates relaxing restrictions on Ukraine’s use of its weapons to strike targets inside Russia
- Ukraine’s “hands tied” by US weapons restrictions to strike inside Russia
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