3 hours agoGreat Britain, Poland pledge to face Russian aircraft violating NATO airspace
Periskopi(9 months ago)
(9 months ago)European allies have pledged to bring down any Russian aircraft that violates their airspace, as NATO members accused Moscow of repeated interventions on coalition territory in recent weeks. If a rocket or another plane enters our space without permission, deliberately or wrongly, and collapses and ruins fall on the territory [...]
“If a rocket or other plane enters our space without permission, deliberately or wrongly, and collapses and ruins fall on NATO territory, please don't come here to complain about this”, said Poland Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in New York on Monday, which was called to discuss an intervention in Russian airspace over Estonia.
His warning was repeated by Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who told reporters earlier in the day: “I want to be very clear. We will make a decision to bring down flying objects without question when they invade our territory and fly over Poland. There's no room for debate here”
On Friday, Estonia reported that three Russian MiG-31 planes had switched to its airspace for 12 minutes before being forced to withdraw.
The incident followed the entry of 20 Russian drones into the Polish sky earlier this month, which fell by NATO warplanes, and a special intervention with Russian fears in Romania.
The violations have shaken Europe, especially countries bordering Russia, boosting fears that Moscow is testing NATO's defence commitments.
Denmark's Foreign Minister, Lars Lékke Rasmussen, said: “Russia clearly thinks it can act without punishment in Ukraine, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, throughout Eastern Europe”.
Russia's “neighbours, not without reason, fear they may be next”, he added.
Estonia, which called for an emergency meeting, told the security council that its data on the intervention of fighter planes was “based on solid facts, based on solid evidence, whatever Russia claims”.
Keeping up a copy of the country's air radar, Estonia Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna noted what he called a “clear violation of Estonia's territory and sovereignty”.
He also displayed close photos of Russian warplanes, stressing that they were carrying rockets and were ready to fight”.
“The violation is very clear and Russia is lying again, as he lied several times before”, he said.
Russia has rejected Estonia's claims and has said it lacks evidence. /Periscopi/
