NATO Intercepting Russian Missiles Over Ukraine Risks US Involvement in the War, Says Pentagon

The battlefields in Israel and Ukraine are “very different,” and intercepting Russian missiles from Poland or Romania would pull the US directly into the Russia-Ukraine war, said US Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh during a briefing on October 3.

Singh reiterated that shooting down Russian missiles from Polish or Romanian territory would involve the US directly in the conflict. “Ukraine has successfully defended itself against Russian strikes on its cities, population, and infrastructure. We will continue to provide the support needed to ensure this defense,” she added.

Singh noted that since the start of Russia’s invasion, President Joe Biden focused Pentagon efforts on providing Ukraine with the necessary resources to defend itself on the battlefield.

She added that on October 3, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin received a detailed briefing from his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, about the current situation at the frontlines to better assess Ukraine’s ongoing military needs.

Earlier, newly elected NATO chief Mark Rutte said that decisions to down Russian missiles and drones violating their territory should be made by member states themselves.