Russia "will not intimidate" NATO, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful said today regarding the incident in Lithuanian airspace with a drone, which was shot down with the help of fighter jets of the alliance's allied forces, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
Speaking in the Swiss city of Geneva during a visit to the European headquarters of the UN, Wadeful said that "once again we are witnessing aggression from the Russian side against NATO allies".
"This is another demonstration of what Russia is trying to do: it is trying to divide us and sow discord, and it must not be allowed to succeed in this", added the German top diplomat.
He pointed out that the alliance has shown that it is capable of repelling such attacks. "We will not be intimidated", Vaddeful said.
His comments were in response to the downing of a drone over Lithuania by an Italian fighter jet last night. There were no reports of injuries or material damage, but the debris is being investigated.
The NATO operation was coordinated with the Combined Air Operations Center in Udemy, Germany, the alliance's air force command said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the "irresponsible and dangerous" Russia's behavior after Denmark complained about the firing of signal rockets at one of its helicopters, and a NATO plane had to shoot down a drone in Lithuania, Agence France-Presse reported.
"Europe is once again confronting Russia's irresponsible and dangerous behavior," wrote the former European Commission President on the social platform.
These incidents are "part of a broader trend of aggression and provocation by Russia towards Europe," added Von der Leyen.