NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday on Newsmax that recent Russian military incursions into allied airspace were either intentional provocations or reckless incompetence, warning that such actions are "unacceptable" and must end.
Rutte condemned the continuing series of Russian airspace incursions over NATO territory on Newsmax's "The Record With Greta Van Susteren," saying that Moscow's actions present an ever-growing risk to European security.
"Well, we are still assessing whether it is intentional," Rutte said. "But even if it is not intentional, then it is blatantly incompetent, and it is reckless."
"It is unacceptable what he did with these drones in Poland, what happened in Estonia with the three MiG fighter jets flying for more than ten minutes in Estonian airspace, and then being escorted out by our fantastic military, who followed all the procedures and did exactly what they were trained for. But it is unacceptable and it is reckless and it has got to stop."
The remarks came amid a surge of reported incidents in recent weeks. Drones have appeared over Poland and Romania, Russian jets crossed into Estonian airspace, and a German naval frigate in the Baltic Sea was buzzed by Russian aircraft. Unidentified drones have also been reported near airports in Copenhagen, Oslo, and most recently, at additional Danish airports.
Russia has denied responsibility, though Denmark has said the airport intrusions were the work of a "professional actor" and did not rule out Moscow's involvement. Analysts point to the pattern of incidents as part of Russia's history of military provocations accompanied by denials.
When asked how such incursions relate to NATO's collective defense clause, Rutte emphasized the alliance's flexibility. "To make [Russian President Vladimir] Putin not too wise, we will always be a little bit ambiguous about that, because we don't want him to know too much," he said. "But I can assure you that we will know when Article Five is being breached. And he will also know, I can assure you."
Rutte said NATO forces are prepared to act decisively if incursions escalate into direct threats.
"If these planes would pose a threat to our infrastructure and of course, to our people living, for example, in Estonia, in the case of what happened last Friday, then I can assure you that our military have all the mandates and all the authorities to do what is necessary, including really getting very tough and taking on that airplane if necessary," he said.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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