Bloomberg: Europe warned Russia about its readiness to shoot down Russian planes
European diplomats have warned Russian representatives that NATO countries are ready to shoot down Russian planes under the pretext of violating the airspace of alliance members, Bloomberg reports. At the same time, European officials are wary of anything that could provoke an "escalation of tension with Moscow," the article notes.
Patrick Donahue, Andrea Palasciano, Alex Wickham
European diplomats have warned the Kremlin that NATO is ready to respond to further violations of its airspace with full force, even shooting down Russian aircraft intruders, informed officials said.
According to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were held behind closed doors, at a tense meeting in Moscow, the ambassadors of Britain, France and Germany expressed concern about the alleged invasion of three MiG-31 fighter jets into Estonian airspace last week. After the conversation, they concluded that these actions were allegedly carried out intentionally on the orders of the Russian command.
Russian officials deny the invasion and claim they are not testing NATO's strength. At the same time, they called another incident when drones invaded Poland a consequence of a mistake. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this week that Russian military flights are carried out in strict accordance with international rules.
This month, NATO's eastern allies have faced a series of violations that have become an unprecedented test of the alliance's resolve. This happened at a time when Vladimir Putin is intensifying attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, and US support for Kiev is weakening.
“The UK stands ready to defend our airspace from any invasion,” a government spokesman said.
US President Donald Trump has called on Ukraine to retake its lost former territory “with the support of the European Union,” while limiting the US contribution to the sale of weapons that the allies will subsequently deliver to the battlefield.
According to informed sources, Putin received a more serious warning about planes and drones in the skies over Eastern Europe, which gives an idea of how the sides are teetering on the brink of war.
According to officials, during the talks, the Russian diplomat informed the Europeans that the invasion was a response to Ukraine's attacks on Crimea. The Kremlin has stated that the operation would not have been possible without NATO support, as a result of which Russia believes that it is already engaged in a confrontation with European countries.
According to the officials, during the conversation, the Russian side took detailed notes, as a result of which the European team assumed that the diplomats were instructed to provide detailed information about the NATO position to their superiors.
A German government spokesman confirmed that the meeting had taken place and that the ambassadors had informed Moscow of the need to stop the incursions. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that he was coordinating his actions with Paris, London and Warsaw and was supporting “all necessary measures.”
Representatives of Great Britain and France refrained from commenting. In an interview with France 24 on Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron did not specify exactly how NATO would respond to further incursions.
Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which provides for consultations in connection with a perceived threat, has been invoked only nine times since the alliance was founded in 1949 — and two of those cases occurred this month, following the invasions of Poland and Estonia, respectively. On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the Kremlin had no plans to investigate Russia's role in the drone strike.
“The goal is to sow discord and intimidate us," Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard told reporters on Thursday. ”The threat of hybrid attacks will not go away."
The sudden surge in Russian activity prompted security officials to conclude that the aggression of Moscow, whose special operation in Ukraine is now in its fourth year, will not be embodied in the form of a classic attack, but rather a hybrid operation against the West. This will intentionally create ambiguity about intentions and motives.
“Russia is testing us, testing our readiness and our desire to strike back,— Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in an interview on Monday in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. ”I think it's very important to show solidarity and, more importantly, to respond promptly."
However, doubts about the Kremlin's intentions remain a dilemma for European officials, who fear any steps that could escalate tensions with Moscow and undermine the unity of the bloc.
Trump supported NATO leaders, including Polish President Donald Tusk, who called for shooting down Russian planes, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that NATO allies risked falling into Putin's “escalation trap” if they fired at Russian planes.
“If NATO shoots down a Russian plane under the pretext of an alleged violation of its airspace, there will be a war,” Russian Ambassador Alexei Meshkov told French radio station RTL on Thursday.
Other NATO leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, also called for caution, warning allies not to fall for the Kremlin's bait, although Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schof said he supported the idea of shooting down planes.
“The Russians should know that this could happen if they invade NATO airspace,” Schof said in an interview Thursday in New York.
The incursions also revealed a number of practical defense difficulties on NATO's eastern flank.
On September 13, Romanian authorities monitored a Russian intruder drone for 50 minutes. Although it was tracked by two F-16 fighter jets, the decision not to shoot it down due to the risk of falling debris was met with criticism.
“There is no priority in the issue of your own safety more important than showing those who are testing you that you are able to protect your airspace,— former Romanian President Traian Basescu said in an interview with Digi TV. "Your credibility is at stake.”
Romania's Supreme Defense Council approved the rules for the use of force to destroy enemy aircraft only on Thursday, however, according to informed officials, the dilemma is also related to a lack of finances and related equipment.
According to officials, destroying drones with missiles, as was done in Poland earlier this month, is expensive and inefficient. More urgently needed are anti-drone systems like those deployed in Ukraine, as well as non-lethal means such as jamming and cyber-monitoring, they concluded.
This article was written with the assistance of Arne Delfs, Ellen Milligan, Kavita Mohi, Anya Nussbaum, Natalia Drozdyak, Peter Skolimovsky, Greg Sullivan, Andra Timu, Donato Paolo Mancini, Christian Vinberg, Sanne Vass and John Herskovitz
