Decision to down missiles over Ukraine should be taken by all NATO members – US State Department spokesman

Matthew Miller, spokesman for the US Department of State, answering a question about the possibility of NATO countries being able to shoot down Russian missiles over the territory of Ukraine, has said that this is a decision that must be made by the Alliance members collectively.

Miller was asked about the recent statement by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who instructed diplomats to work within the NATO-Ukraine Council to create a coalition of neighbouring states to help shoot down Russian missiles over Ukrainian territory.

"So that is a discussion that, as with all NATO discussions, is a discussion to be had among NATO members and a decision that NATO would reach collectively. It’s not something I can speak to from here," he said.

He was also asked about a possible extension of authorisation for Ukraine to launch strikes with Western weapons deep into Russian territory, to which Miller replied that the US is constantly studying the needs of the Ukrainian military, assessing the security situation and trying to respond to their needs.

"And that is a process that we have undergone from the beginning, and we make that process both – or we make those determinations both when it comes to these specific weapons that we provide Ukraine and the restrictions, if any, that we put on the use of those weapons," Miller explained.

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže has previously said that restrictions on Ukraine's ability to strike deep into Russian territory with Western weapons should be lifted.

Prior to that, Zelenskyy asked UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to help Ukraine gain the ability to use Western long-range weapons to strike deep into Russia.