Kaja Kallas: “Every country has right to defend itself” amid Russia incursions; Iran warned of snapback sanctions

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, has condemned recent Russian airspace violations, insisting that “every country has the right to defend itself.” She also cautioned Iran that time is running out to meet EU demands and stop a return of UN sanctions under the snapback mechanism.

Russia’s airspace incursions: growing alarm in Europe
Recent events have escalated tensions between Moscow and the EU/NATO. On September 19, three Russian MiG-31 jets violated Estonian airspace near Vaindloo Island for about 12 minutes. They flew without flight plans or active transponders, and were unresponsive to air-traffic control before being intercepted by Italian F-35s under NATO’s air policing mission. 

Estonia has labeled this the fourth violation of its airspace by Russia this year. NATO and EU leaders, including Kaja Kallas, condemned what they called a “brazen provocation” and are calling for stronger deterrence, increased monitoring, and stricter consequences. 

Kallas has been clear: if foreign aircraft breach a country’s airspace, that country has the right to respond, to defend its borders, sovereignty, and security. EU leaders are pushing for solidarity among member states, especially along the Eastern flank, and strengthening of defence capabilities. 

Iran’s snapback sanctions: a diplomatic countdown
Parallel to Europe’s tensions with Russia is a growing diplomatic pressure on Iran. European officials say Iran has not yet taken all the necessary steps to prevent the return of UN sanctions tied to its nuclear programme. These include full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reopening inspections at all nuclear sites, and transparent accounting of enriched uranium stockpiles. 

Kaja Kallas warned that the “window for finding a diplomatic solution is closing really fast.” The European powers (France, Germany, UK), alongside the EU, have made clear that unless concrete actions are taken by Iran, the snapback mechanism, built into the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) will trigger automatic reinstatement of sanctions at the end of September.

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