'Everything could be shut down' — Zelensky calls for joint Western air defense system to down Russian missiles, drones over Ukraine
Editor's note: Read more of our reporting on President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the UN General Assembly here.
During his speech to the UN Security Council on Sept. 23, President Volodymyr Zelensky called on members of the Coalition of the Willing to assist Ukraine in shooting down Russian missiles and drones fired over Ukrainian airspace.
"If we could strengthen our skies with a joint system to shut down Russian missiles and drones, it would force Russia to stop its attack from the sky," Zelensky said.
"Because everything could be shut down and so (Russian President Vladimir) Putin would be forced to sit here, or in another respectable venue, and look for a truce on the ground."
"If there is no war in the sky, Russia can't keep fighting on the ground," Zelensky continued, adding that he has spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump as well as other European leaders about the matter.
While Ukraine has long called on Western allies to assist in closing the skies over Ukraine's airspace, NATO countries have instead provided air defense weaponry, fearing potential escalation through NATO's involvement.
Zelensky's comments come mere hours after a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting was held amid heightened Western tension with Russia, amid multiple Russian airspace violations of NATO territory in recent weeks.
Amid a Russian drone incursion on Sept. 10, Poland downed four out of 19 drones that entered its airspace for the first time since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Days later on Sept. 19, three Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace before being intercepted by NATO aircraft, forcing the Baltic state to trigger Article 4, summoning consultations with allies.
In a apparent policy shift following his meeting with Zelensky, Trump said on Sept. 23 that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft that violate their airspace.
Following their respective incidents, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna suggested a shift in policy towards countering Russian air attacks and violations.
"The message must be unequivocal: future violations will meet a response — including, if necessary, the interception and downing of intruding aircraft. This is not only about defending Estonia's borders — it's about defending NATO's borders," Tsahkna told the Kyiv Independent
Sikorski said that the idea of closing part of Ukrainian airspace using NATO-stationed air defense might be back on the table following the attack, suggesting that "opinion is shifting towards this idea."
Zelensky did not provide further details as to what a potential plan for a "joint system" entails.
"We expect America's actions to push Moscow towards peace. Moscow fears America and always pays attention to it," Zelensky concluded.
As Russia continues to mount its offensive on the front, Trump, for the first time, expressed his view that Kyiv will retake territories occupied by Russia following his meeting with Zelensky.
I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form," Trump wrote on his Truth Social.
"With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option," Trump said, adding that Russia has been fighting its war "aimlessly for three and a half years."
