European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated that NATO member states cannot rule out the option of shooting down Russian aircraft intruding into their airspace, following a series of alleged violations this month.
“My opinion is we have to defend every square centimeter of the territory,” von der Leyen told CNN on Wednesday. “That means if there is an intrusion in the airspace, after warning, after being very clear, of course the option of shooting down a fighter jet that is intruding our airspace is on the table.”
The comments come after US President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that European NATO members should take decisive action against Russian aircraft breaching their skies. Both Poland and Estonia have recently accused Moscow of airspace incursions, claims which Russia has denied.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte emphasized that decisions on engaging intruding aircraft are made “in real time and are always based on available intelligence regarding the threat posed.”
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski reinforced the warning at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, stating that any future intrusions would be met with force. “If another missile or aircraft enters our airspace without permission – either deliberately or by mistake – and gets shot down and the wreckage falls on NATO territory, please don’t come here to whine about it,” he said.
The UK echoed similar sentiments. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the country stands ready “to take all steps necessary to defend NATO skies and NATO’s territory… If we need to confront planes operating in NATO airspace without permission, we will.”
Moscow has dismissed the accusations, with Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky calling them “Russophobic hysteria” intended to pressure Washington into a more confrontational policy. Russia also disputes claims regarding drone incidents over Poland and Estonia, asserting that the jets involved followed planned flight paths and did not cross into NATO airspace. Polyansky further noted that the only confirmed damage from the Polish incident resulted from a NATO F-16 missile striking a residential building.
