NATO vows ‘robust’ response to Russian airspace incursions
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The news: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Tuesday promised that its response to Russia’s “reckless actions” will continue to be “robust” and that it would use all necessary military or non-military tools to defend itself.
The context: A statement released on Tuesday following a meeting of the North Atlantic Council to discuss last week’s incursion into Estonia’s airspace by Russian fighter jets, NATO said that the incident is part of a “wider pattern of increasingly irresponsible Russian behaviour.”
Noting that this is the second time in two weeks that the Council has met under Article 4, after Polish jets shot down Russian drones over its territory earlier this month, the Council said: “Russia bears full responsibility for these actions, which are escalatory, risk miscalculation and endanger lives. They must stop.”
NATO said the alliance launched the “Eastern Sentry” maneuvre on 12 September to bolster NATO’s posture along the entire Eastern flank, and that “we will reinforce our capabilities and strengthen our deterrence and defence posture, including through effective air defence.”
“Russia should be in no doubt: NATO and Allies will employ, in accordance with international law, all necessary military and non-military tools to defend ourselves and deter all threats from all directions. We will continue to respond in the manner, timing, and domain of our choosing."
“Our commitment to Article 5 is ironclad,” NATO said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry denied its jets had entered Estonian airspace on Friday, saying the aircraft followed a planned route from the Karelia Republic, which borders Finland, to the Kaliningrad exclave.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday his country is prepared to take out foreign aircraft that enter its territory without authorisation, while German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said recent Russian aerial incursions on NATO’s eastern flank justify his government’s move to ramp up spending on the armed forces.
The news comes as Copenhagen and Oslo airports were closed for hours on Monday after several drone sighting in its airspace. Danish police on Tuesday said that the drones appeared to have been flown by “a capable operator,” but that authorities were not able to confirm allegations by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Russia had violated Danish airspace.
The source: NATO statement
