NATO won't shoot down Russian missiles and drones over Ukraine as it's "involving us in war in different way" – Pentagon

NATO will not intercept missiles and drones over Ukraine as it does over Israel, as these are "two very different landscapes and battlefields", and it would be "involving us in a war in a different way".

Source: Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh at a briefing; Pentagon website

Quote: "We are talking about two very different landscapes and battlefields. The president, at the very beginning of when Russia invaded Ukraine, has directed this department to provide Ukraine what it needs on the battlefield."

Details: The Pentagon spokeswoman emphasised that Ukraine has been very successful in using air defence and other capabilities to continue to regain its territory.

She also reported on a conversation between Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umierov, which focused on obtaining the latest battlefield updates to better assess what additional capabilities Ukraine may require.

Singh stressed that US President Joe Biden has pledged that the United States will not intervene in the Ukraine war but will support Kyiv in its efforts to regain its sovereign territory.

Asked whether hitting targets from Polish or Romanian territory would also be considered "putting boots on the ground", Singh said "that would be involving us in a war in a different way".

She also noted that Ukraine "has been able to successfully defend against Russian strikes to their cities, to their populations, to their infrastructure".

The spokeswoman added that the US will continue to provide Ukraine with the necessary support to achieve this goal.

Background: On 3 October, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed bolstering Ukraine's air defence and its potential NATO membership and called for a joint defence of the Ukrainian skies, as in Israel.

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