NATO warns Russia to "stop" airspace violations

2025-09-23 14:47:02, Kosova & Bota CNA

NATO warned Russia to stop "escalating" airspace violations on its eastern flank, as the alliance held emergency talks following last week's incursion into Estonia.

"Russia bears full responsibility for these actions, which escalate the situation, risk miscalculation and put people's lives at risk. These actions must stop," the 32-member military alliance said in a statement.

"Russia should have no doubt: NATO and its allies, in accordance with international law, will use all necessary military and non-military means to defend themselves and deter all threats from all directions."

The announcement added that NATO "will continue to respond in the manner, at the time, of its choosing" and that the alliance's commitment to its collective defense pact remains "unbreakable."

Estonia called emergency consultations under Article 4 of NATO's founding treaty after Russian fighter jets violated its airspace for 12 minutes last Friday.

The incident – ??during which NATO scrambled aircraft – came a week after the alliance shot down Russian drones over Poland, forcing Warsaw to call similar consultations.

In response to the Russian drone incursion into Poland, NATO announced it was strengthening its defenses in the east to help repel the threat from Russia.

In addition to Poland, on NATO's eastern flank are Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, and Finland, which have also recently reported violations of their airspace.

Rising tensions have fueled fears that Russia's war in Ukraine could spread across NATO's border.

NATO states pledged that "these and other irresponsible actions by Russia will not deter the Allies' commitment to support Ukraine."

Under NATO's Article 4, any member can call for urgent discussions when they feel that their "territorial integrity, political independence or security" are at risk.

Tuesday's talks mark the fourth time Article 4 has been activated since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and also mark the ninth time since the alliance was founded 79 years ago.

Meanwhile, NATO's collective security is based on the principle of Article 5: if one member is attacked, the entire alliance comes to its defense.

This article has only been activated once in NATO's history, after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States./ REL