NATO Secretary Mark Rutte has issued a strong warning to Moscow following a series of recent airspace incursions involving Russian aircraft and drones incidents that Russia continues to deny.
In a Wednesday interview with Fox News, Rutte made it clear that NATO will respond decisively to any threat detected in its airspace. “If an aircraft poses no danger, it will be intercepted and escorted out. But if it’s deemed a threat, it will be shot down,” he said.
Over the past six weeks, Russian drones have reportedly entered Polish airspace some of which were shot down while a Russian aircraft was intercepted over Estonia. Rutte defended NATO’s swift response, emphasizing that “NATO reacted exactly as we should. We have trained and prepared for this.”
The NATO leader also expressed cautious optimism that current diplomatic and military efforts could help bring an end to the war in Ukraine, now dragging into its fourth year. Rutte praised U.S. President Donald Trump for what he called “true peacemaker” efforts, encouraging both sides to agree to a temporary ceasefire before broader political talks begin.
“Stop where you are, and then you can still debate a lot of other things later,” Rutte urged.
He also noted that the combination of Western sanctions — including potential secondary sanctions on India — and Washington’s threat to supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles are putting significant pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate.
A recent Foreign Affairs analysis supports this view, suggesting that Russia’s economy is weakening more than the Kremlin admits. Despite attempts to mask the strain, mounting sanctions and Ukraine’s attrition campaign have severely impacted Russia’s energy sector, leading to fuel shortages and long queues at petrol stations.
Rutte’s warning signals that NATO is drawing a hard line on airspace violations — while also keeping the door open for diplomacy aimed at ending one of Europe’s most destructive conflicts in decades.
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