NATO has reacted to the recent Russian violations of Estonian airspace, but expects new unlawful actions from Moscow, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in an interview with DPA, BTA reports.
“I am fully convinced that Russia will continue with these provocations. This is not just about Estonia, but about the unity of NATO, as well as a test of our capabilities and the entire transatlantic community“, said the Baltic country's first diplomat during the Tallinn Digital Summit 2025 technology forum, which ended yesterday in Tallinn.
According to DPA, three Russian fighter jets entered Estonian airspace – member of NATO and the EU - and remained there for about 12 minutes. After the incident, the Estonian government requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and consultations with allied countries under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty.
In a statement, the Alliance warned Russia not to violate its air borders again, stressing that force could be used in the event of new incidents.
“I think we reacted very firmly“, said Tsahkna. According to him, NATO has shown that it acts effectively after the Russian planes were promptly intercepted. “Everything was under control. There was no immediate and direct military threat“, he added.
The minister stressed that even after this incident, the Alliance had demonstrated political unity and determination. He joined the call of Latvia and Lithuania for the NATO mission to monitor the airspace of the Baltic states to be transformed into a real military operation.
“I support this idea“, said Tsahkna, specifying that it is not enough to simply change the name of the mission - it is necessary to significantly improve air defense capabilities.
The governments of Latvia and Lithuania have already expressed the opinion that the NATO Baltic mission, launched in 2004, should be developed into an air defense mission.
At the same time, the Estonian foreign minister welcomed the new, more assertive policy of the German government in the security sphere and its positive impact among the allies.
“Now we see that the new German government has really changed the European dynamic“, Tsahkna pointed out. He noted that many countries have long relied on Germany, but after the increase in German defense spending "there is no longer any excuse for them."
Tsahkna praised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his clear leadership and active support for Ukraine, which continues to be under Russian attack.
The Estonian minister also supported German efforts to use frozen Russian assets in the EU and emphasized the change in political will within the bloc.
In May last year, Estonia became the first European country to officially adopt a law allowing the use of Russian assets to pay reparations to Ukraine, DPA recalls.