KEY POINTS
- Washington’s UN envoy vowed to “defend every inch of NATO territory”.
- NATO scrambled jets last week when Russian jets reportedly breached Estonian airspace.
- Putin said Moscow would respond to threats with “military and technological measures” but denied seeking escalation.
- Moscow rejects claims that its military jets violated Estonia’s airspace.
UNITED NATIONS: Washington’s new envoy to the United Nations vowed Monday that the United States and its allies would “defend every inch of NATO territory” as he addressed an emergency meeting over an alleged incursion by Russian fighter jets into Estonia’s airspace.
NATO scrambled jets after three Russian MiG-31 fighters on Friday reportedly breached Estonian airspace for some 12 minutes, triggering complaints of a dangerous new provocation and a denial from Moscow.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow is prepared to respond to any strategic threats “not with words but with military and technological measures.”
Speaking at a meeting of the Russian Security Council, Putin said Russia is confident in the “reliability and effectiveness” of its deterrent forces. He added that Russia “is not interested in further escalating tensions or fuelling an arms race.”
The West’s destructive actions have “significantly undermined the foundation of constructive relations and practical cooperation between nuclear powers,” Putin said as quoted by TASS news agency.
Estonia, a NATO member, called for a meeting of the UN Security Council “in response to Russia’s brazen violation of Estonian airspace”, and talks with other NATO allies.
“As we said nine days ago, the United States stands by our NATO Allies in the face of these airspace violations. And I want to take this first opportunity to repeat, and to emphasise, the United States and our Allies will defend every inch of NATO territory,” said US Ambassador Mike Waltz.
The alleged incursion came after fellow NATO member Poland said earlier this month that Russian drones had allegedly violated its airspace during an attack on Ukraine, in what Warsaw called an “act of aggression.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday rejected claims that its military jets violated Estonia’s airspace last week and accused the Baltic nation of making up false claims.
“We never heard in the Estonian statement that they have objective monitoring data [to back up their claim],” Peskov told reporters.
“That is why we consider such words to be empty, unfounded and a continuation of a completely reckless pattern of escalating tensions and provoking a confrontational atmosphere,” he added.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday joined the condemnation of the latest airspace violation, vowing to defend Poland and the Baltic states in case of escalation from Russia.
Asked whether he would help defend the EU members if Russia intensifies hostilities, Trump told reporters: “Yeah, I would.”
Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has blown hot and cold amid the Ukraine war and the US president has urged peace but shown little concrete sign of pressuring Moscow.
Trump said Thursday at the close of a state visit to Britain that Putin had “really let me down” by continuing the war, now in its fourth year.
“At a time when President Trump and the United States has been focused, and spent an enormous amount of time and effort to end this horrific war between Russia and Ukraine, we expect Russia to seek ways to de-escalate — not risk expansion,” Waltz added in his maiden speech to the Council.
Western powers have warned that Russia is playing with fire with its repeated ventures into NATO airspace, whose members have a mutual defence assistance pact.
In the incident in Estonian airspace, Italian F-35 fighters attached to NATO’s air defence support mission in the Baltic states, along with Swedish and Finnish aircraft, were scrambled to intercept the Russian jets and warn them off.
