NATO Divided Over Firing on Russian Aircraft, CNN Reports
CNN says NATO allies are split on authorizing strikes against Russian jets accused of violating airspace, as Warsaw and Tallinn push for tougher measures.
CNN, citing NATO officials, reports that there is no consensus within the alliance on whether to open fire on Russian aircraft allegedly violating NATO airspace.
Earlier, the NATO Council blamed Moscow for incidents involving drones in Poland and aircraft over Estonia — but member states have not presented evidence of Russia’s culpability.
According to CNN, disagreements among allies center on whether NATO should formally adopt a strategy that authorizes shooting down Russian jets violating its airspace. During the council meeting, Warsaw and Tallinn reportedly pushed to include language in the final statement allowing such action. Some southern European nations, however, insisted that these hardline provisions be left out of the document.
On Thursday, Russia’s ambassador to France, Alexey Meshkov, warned that any NATO decision to shoot down a Russian plane would be considered an act of war. He also pointed out that NATO aircraft regularly enter Russian airspace, yet Moscow does not shoot them down.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has repeatedly stated that all Russian military flights are conducted strictly in accordance with international airspace regulations, avoid commercial aviation routes, and do not engage in dangerous maneuvers near foreign aircraft.