Kuwait city: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte affirmed on Thursday that the alliance will not hesitate to shoot down Russian drones violating member states' airspace "if necessary." Rutte expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump's recent call for NATO members to take down Russian drones but stressed that "this should be done only after exhausting all other options", Fox News reported.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Rutte accused Russia of conducting airspace incursions for decades, noting that NATO members are capable of assessing situations carefully and taking the appropriate steps to protect their populations.
President Trump had earlier stated, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, that NATO should down Russian warplanes if they violate allied airspace.
NATO reported that three Russian fighter jets entered Estonian airspace for 12 minutes last Friday, an incident Estonian Prime Minister Kristina Michal described as an "unprecedented and blatant violation." Moscow has denied the claim.
The incident follows another escalation last week, when 20 drones, believed to be Russian, entered Polish airspace, prompting NATO to reinforce its eastern flank amid rising tensions with Moscow.