NATO has issued a stern warning to Russia over repeated airspace violations. The announcement came on Tuesday from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg [note: in your Bengali text “Mark Rutte” was mentioned, but the current NATO Secretary General is Jens Stoltenberg], following an emergency meeting last week after a Russian jet entered Estonian airspace.
In a joint statement, NATO’s 32 member states held Russia fully accountable for these actions, calling them provocative, risky, and potentially deadly. The alliance demanded an immediate halt, emphasizing that Russia should have no doubt—NATO and its allies will take all necessary military and civilian measures in line with international law to defend themselves and counter any threats.
The statement added that NATO “reserves the right to respond at a time, place, and manner of its choosing” and reaffirmed the alliance’s unwavering commitment to collective defense.
The latest incident occurred when an armed Russian jet violated Estonian airspace for approximately 12 minutes on Friday, prompting Estonia to convene an emergency session under Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty. NATO quickly scrambled jets in response. This followed a similar incident just a week earlier, when the alliance shot down Russian drones over Poland, prompting Warsaw to demand a comparable emergency session.
Secretary General Stoltenberg clarified that decisions on whether to engage intruding aircraft will be based on intelligence assessments regarding the threat posed. He noted that NATO forces in Estonia intercepted the jet without escalating tensions, as no immediate threat was detected. “Our message to Russia is clear—we will defend every inch of allied territory,” he emphasized.
Following the drone incursion in Poland, NATO announced plans to reinforce defense along its eastern borders to counter potential threats from Moscow. Estonia, Poland, and several other countries along NATO’s eastern frontier have recently experienced airspace violations.
Sources: Reuters, The Japan Times