NATO on Tuesday warned Russia that it would use "all necessary military and non-military tools" to defend its members, condemning Moscow for violating Estonian airspace in what it described as a “pattern of increasingly irresponsible behaviour.”
The warning followed Estonia’s report that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered its airspace for 12 minutes last Friday before being escorted out by NATO Italian jets. The week prior, roughly 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, prompting NATO jets to shoot some down and leading the alliance to strengthen its eastern European defenses.
U.S. President Donald Trump signalled support for a firm NATO response during remarks to reporters at the United Nations General Assembly.
Asked whether NATO should shoot down Russian aircraft entering its airspace, he replied, “Yes, I do.”
The NATO statement came after a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, comprised of ambassadors from its 32 member countries, called after Estonia invoked Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty.
Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth spoke with Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur on Tuesday, assuring him that Washington “stands with all NATO allies and that any incursion into NATO airspace is unacceptable.”
Hegseth also praised the rapid response of European air defenses and said the U.S. is closely monitoring the situation.
NATO commanders retain authority
“Russia bears full responsibility for these actions, which are escalatory, risk miscalculation, and endanger lives. They must stop,” the council said.
“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.”
While recent incidents have prompted some European voices to call for shooting down manned Russian fighters that enter NATO airspace, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius cautioned against hasty action.
“Reckless demands to shoot something out of the sky or to send a specific message of strength do not help in this situation. We need to be calm, clear, and prudent—and act appropriately,” he said in Berlin.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte noted that the Russian jets over Estonia had not been intercepted because they were not assessed as an immediate threat, but stressed that commanders have the authority to act if intruding aircraft pose danger.
Defensive but vigilant
NATO’s Article 4 obliges allies to consult whenever a member’s territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened. This was only the ninth time in NATO’s 76-year history that Article 4 has been invoked, and the second this month in response to incidents over Poland and Estonia.
Rutte emphasised that NATO is “a defensive alliance, yes, but we are not naive. We see what is happening. If it is not intentional, then it is blatantly incompetent. Even if it is incompetence, we still have to defend ourselves.”
Russia denied Estonia’s claims and accused Tallinn of escalating East-West tensions. Regarding the Polish drone incident, Moscow said the drones were targeting military facilities in western Ukraine and had not intended to enter Polish territory.
NATO reaffirmed that its members will continue supporting Ukraine in exercising its right to self-defense against Russia’s “brutal and unprovoked war of aggression.”
Russia has denied that its planes had entered NATO airspace.
The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has climbed to 6,126, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)....
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Iranian government is likely weaker than at any point in recent history, warning that protests could reig...
Palestine’s ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has said the permanence and success of the Gaza ceasefire depend on a full Israeli with...
Two Nipah infections involving health workers in India have triggered heightened screening across Southeast Asia as authorities move to prevent the hi...
Severe storms have disrupted cargo flows across Europe, shutting terminals and slowing vessel movements for some of the world’s biggest carriers....
The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has climbed to 6,126, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Iranian government is likely weaker than at any point in recent history, warning that protests could reignite despite a violent crackdown that has killed thousands.
Palestine’s ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, has said the permanence and success of the Gaza ceasefire depend on a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory and an end to efforts to dictate Gaza’s future.
“This is a strategic wake-up call for all of Europe” French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Wednesday, 28 January, as he hosted Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s premier, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, in Paris to reaffirm France’s support for Greenland’s sovereignty.
The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has climbed to 6,126, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
France’s National Assembly has approved a bill banning access to social media for children under 15, a move backed by President Emmanuel Macron and the government as part of efforts to protect teenagers’ mental and physical health.
Israel has recovered the remains of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, the military said on Monday, fulfilling a key condition of the initial phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory.
The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
South Korea has said it will uphold its trade agreement with the U.S. despite President Donald Trump’s announcement of higher tariffs on South Korean goods.
Iranian citizens and businesses are continuing to feel the impact of a nationwide internet shutdown imposed amid a sweeping crackdown on anti-government protests, with access to the global web still largely cut off more than two weeks later.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Iranian government is likely weaker than at any point in recent history, warning that protests could reignite despite a violent crackdown that has killed thousands.
Severe storms have disrupted cargo flows across Europe, shutting terminals and slowing vessel movements for some of the world’s biggest carriers.
The Kremlin has reiterated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is welcome in Moscow for talks with Vladimir Putin, stressing that any meeting must be fully prepared and aimed at achieving concrete results.
“This is a strategic wake-up call for all of Europe” French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Wednesday, 28 January, as he hosted Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s premier, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, in Paris to reaffirm France’s support for Greenland’s sovereignty.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment