‘Escalation Argument Is Flawed’ – Kuleba Comments on Western Weapon Policies

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the “escalation argument is flawed” in response to a journalist’s question about the West’s restrained weapon policy on Ukraine, and that downing Russian missiles over Ukraine should not constitute an escalation.

Following comments about the necessity for the West to provide Kyiv with enough long-range weapons and lift restrictions on striking airfields deep inside Russia with them, Kuleba told CNN on Tuesday, Sept. 3 that the escalation argument among skeptics “simply serves as an excuse not to do something.”

“What else has to happen for everyone in the world to understand that the escalation argument is flawed? It never worked in the last two and a half years,” Kuleba said.

Regarding Poland’s statement on Tuesday that it has a “constitutional duty” to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine on course to hit Polish territory, Kuleba said Kyiv has been in talks with Warsaw “extensively” and that the Poles “[feels] this threat on their skin.”

However, he added that Poland cannot make the decision on its own as its air defense system is part of NATO’s integrated system, and any decision would require agreements from “all parties involved.”

When the reporter asked him whether that’d apply “even in Ukrainian airspace,” Kuleba said missiles are just metal, not people, and thus should not constitute a form of escalation.

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“Well it’s a piece of steel – I don’t know, maybe aluminum, whatever it’s made of. But let’s get it clear – intercepting Russian [missiles] is not about killing Russian [soldiers], which could theoretically be interpreted as an entry to the war or becoming a party to the conflict.

“But this is just a piece of death that flies in the air, and it has to be – must be – intercepted in Ukraine if it’s within reach of the allies’ air defense system,” said Kuleba.

The CNN interview took place hours before he tendered his resignation amid a major government reshuffle, making it the last interview Kuleba gave to foreign media as Ukraine’s foreign minister.

During the interview, Kuleba also discussed Russia’s Tuesday attack on Poltava and Ukraine’s potential accession to NATO.