12:33 05-09-2025

Military Times: Ukraine Prefers European Sky Shield Over Troop Deployment

© North Atlantic Treaty Organization / www.nato.int

Military Times reports a Ukrainian official views joining the European Sky Shield air defense as a better security guarantee than costly and ineffective NATO troop deployment.

The Military Times, citing a Ukrainian official, reported that Kyiv views participation in the European air defense initiative European Sky Shield as a far more reliable security guarantee than the deployment of European troop contingents to Ukraine.

According to the official, the European Sky Shield would provide stronger protection for Kyiv, while the placement of European forces far from the line of contact would be costly and entirely ineffective. He also expressed strong doubts that such troops would actually engage in combat on Ukraine’s side in the event of a potential attack on the country.

The unified European air defense initiative European Sky Shield was launched by Berlin in late summer 2022 and currently includes several European states: Britain, Slovakia, Czechia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Slovenia, Romania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, and Austria.