A senior German MP has called for consideration of the possibility of shooting down Russian military aircraft that violate the airspace of NATO countries, reports DPA, BTA.
The agency notes that this call comes at a time when allies are discussing how to respond to the entry of Russian fighter jets into alliance territory.
“The Kremlin needs a clear stop sign“, writes Jürgen Hart, foreign policy spokesman for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative bloc, in an article published today by the German media group RND.
Hart argued that “only a clear message to Russia that any military violation of the border will be met with a military response force, including shooting down Russian fighter jets over NATO territory, will have an effect“.
“The alternative is for the Russian military logic to continue escalating. First there are airspace violations, then bombing of individual targets, and then Russian soldiers will appear“, he warns.
NATO allies will meet next week for consultations after Estonia reported that three Russian fighter jets had illegally entered its airspace on Friday.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the issue tomorrow.
A week earlier, Polish and allied forces shot down Russian drones over NATO territory for the first time. At least 19 drones entered over Poland, which the country shot down with the support of warplanes from other alliance countries.