European diplomats have delivered one of the strongest warnings yet to Moscow, telling Russian officials that NATO is prepared to respond with force, including shooting down planes, if further violations of its airspace continue, Bloomberg reported, citing officials familiar with the discussions.
At a tense meeting in Moscow this week, British, French, and German envoys raised concerns over the incursion of three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets into Estonian airspace. According to people briefed on the talks, the Western officials concluded the maneuver was a deliberate tactic ordered by Russian commanders.
Russian officials denied the violation, saying their flights adhere to international rules, and claimed that a separate incident involving drones in Poland was accidental. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted Moscow is not testing NATO and that its operations remain within global aviation standards.
The sharp exchange comes as NATO’s eastern members face a series of incursions this month — including drones in Romania, Poland, and possibly Denmark — exposing weaknesses in the alliance’s defenses such as limited anti-drone systems and high costs tied to shooting down aircraft with warplane missiles.
The diplomatic warning underscores the rising risks of brinkmanship between Moscow and NATO, at a time when Russian forces are intensifying attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and Western support for Kyiv shows signs of strain.
European leaders remain divided over the proper response. Poland and the Netherlands have signaled they would back shooting down Russian aircraft if they enter NATO skies, while Germany and Italy have urged caution to avoid triggering escalation. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stressed the need for solidarity and “fast reaction,” while Russian Ambassador Alexey Meshkov warned on French radio that such a move “will be war.”
Bloomberg noted that Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty — which calls for consultations when a member feels threatened — has been triggered twice already this month, reflecting heightened concern after incidents in Estonia and Poland. Denmark is also considering invoking it as it investigates drone disruptions at Aalborg Airport.
For now, the alliance is grappling with both political and practical dilemmas. Romanian officials, for instance, tracked a Russian drone in their airspace for nearly an hour earlier this month but chose not to shoot it down, citing the danger of falling debris. Critics, however, argue that hesitation undermines NATO’s credibility at a critical moment.
