The German government continues to oppose the idea of creating a defensive shield on NATO territory to protect against Russian airstrikes in western Ukraine, a senior spokesman said on Monday.
“From our point of view, that would be involvement, direct involvement in this conflict. And that is something we do not intend,” government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in Berlin on Monday.
He also referred to statements made by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Recently, there have been calls by some for NATO powers to reinforce Ukrainian air defenses by establishing some sort of protective shield over Ukraine.
Hebestreit declined to comment specifically on the question of whether and how Ukraine gave guarantees that it would not carry out attacks on targets in Russia with weapons systems supplied by Germany.
These regulations were subject to confidentiality and proved their value, Hebestreit said. He also noted that international law stipulates that a state under attack can also defend itself outside its own borders.
