Poland seeks to overstep NATO to allow downing jets over Ukraine
3 Min Read
Poland plans to amend its military deployment law to let its forces shoot down Russian drones over Ukraine without NATO or EU approval.
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Volunteers in Poland's army practice tactics during basic training in Nowogrod, Poland, on Thursday, June 20, 2024. (AP)
Poland is preparing to amend its law on foreign military deployments, granting its armed forces the authority to shoot down Russian drones and other aerial objects over Ukraine without prior approval from NATO, the EU, or the host country.
The draft amendment, submitted by the Defense Ministry in June, is expected to be fast-tracked, according to Gazeta Wyborcza.
From NATO approval to 'shoot first' policy
Previously, Poland’s president could authorize deployments abroad at the government’s request for situations such as peacekeeping, counterterrorism, armed conflict, or evacuations.
But in 2022, just one day before the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the then-ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party introduced a change requiring authorization from NATO, the EU, and the host country.
A commission investigating Russian influence later criticized that move, arguing it weakened Warsaw’s ability to respond independently to threats, particularly drones entering from Ukraine or Belarus.
The new coalition government now plans to scrap those restrictions, adopting what Polish media have called a “shoot first, ask later” principle. This would give the military greater flexibility to respond swiftly to alleged Russian threats.
Why is Poland acting out?
On September 10, Poland confirmed that its military used weapons to down "hostile objects" that violated its airspace during a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine on Wednesday, September 10, marking the first known instance of a NATO country engaging aerial targets amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
“Aircraft have used weapons against hostile objects,” Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on social media, noting that Poland was in "constant contact with NATO command."
Following the incident, Poland activated Article 4 of the NATO Treaty to allow for consultations with allies, a decision that was formally taken on Wednesday.
"The shooting down of drones threatening our security is a success for Polish and NATO forces, which simultaneously changes the political situation," the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated, adding, "In this regard, allied consultations have taken the form of a formal request to activate Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty."
Poland later admitted that the drones it had shot down were "duds."
Read more: No plans to strike Polish land, ready for talks: Russian MoD
