US Congress members ask Biden to allow Poland's air defense over Ukraine.

American leaders urged Biden to allow Poland to expand its air defense to Ukrainian airspace

Leaders of the US Helsinki Commission appealed to President Joe Biden with a request to allow Poland to expand its air defense to Ukrainian airspace to destroy Russian missiles under the guise of self-defense.

Representatives of Republican Joe Wilson and Democrat Steve Cohen sent a letter requesting that Poland be granted the authority to "intercept and neutralize missiles over Ukraine, especially those threatening to approach Polish airspace".

The request is based on Poland's initiative to use its air defense systems and potentially expand their operation, which will protect not only the Polish sky from Russian missiles but also help Ukraine in its defense.

In November 2022, two Polish farmers died when a Ukrainian missile mistakenly fell on Polish territory. In March, Russian missiles attacking Ukraine briefly crossed into Polish airspace.

Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski proposed this scheme in September in an interview with the Financial Times. Although Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the issue was being discussed among NATO allies, then-Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg dismissed the proposal, stating that it risks NATO "becoming part of the conflict".

The new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who assumed office in October, has not yet commented on the issue.

Congress members from both parties criticize the Biden administration for slow military assistance to Ukraine. The administration also prohibited Ukraine from using US-provided weapons to strike deep into Russian territory over concerns that Putin would use it as a pretext to strike NATO allies.