Putin’s attacks expose need for ‘Iron Dome’ in Ukraine: former NATO commander

Retired Army Gen. George Joulwan suggested Monday that Ukraine needs air defenses similar to Israel’s Iron Dome missile interception system after it suffered a barrage of strikes from Russia.

Joulwan, a former NATO supreme allied commander, during an interview with CNN’s John King on “Inside Politics,” indicated that Russian forces, which orchestrated Monday’s attacks, still have advantages in their artillery and air capabilities despite Ukraine’s recent territorial gains.

“Well, it needs to be able to have some sort of air cap, or Iron Dome or some way to be able to take that initiative away from the Russians,” Joulwan told CNN. “And we’ve been kicking this around now for some time, but they need a way to protect themselves from both air and artillery strikes, which is the strength of the Russian military.”

Russia on Monday fired dozens of missiles at Ukraine that landed in the capital city of Kyiv and other areas far from the war’s front lines, killing at least 11, according to Ukrainian officials. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin and those in his orbit have warned more attacks are still to come, causing alarm in the West about how to best protect Ukraine. The Group of Seven (G-7) will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday in response to the attacks.

The U.S. has appropriated hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years to fund Israel’s Iron Dome system, which intercepts and destroys missiles fired at populated areas. The system has served as a major line of defense for Israel in recent bouts of fighting in the region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will speak at the emergency G-7 meeting, on multiple occasions has questioned Israel’s support for Ukraine and last month referenced the Iron Dome system directly.

“I don’t know what happened to Israel,” he told a group of French reporters on Sept. 21, Reuters reported. “I’m honestly, frankly — I am in shock, because I don’t understand why they couldn’t give us air defenses.”

Joulwan on CNN expressed optimism that the Ukrainians can stave off Russian aggression if the West gives them sufficient capabilities.

“We have to give some capability to the Ukrainians sooner rather than later,” Joulwan said. “The debate has to stop, because now you poked at the bear, you blew up his bridge, he has come back with indiscriminate missile strikes all over Ukraine, and now you say, how do you take that advantage away from the Russians?”