Why it matters:
This marks one of the strongest political signals yet from the EU toward Moscow, reinforcing NATO deterrence and potentially escalating military rules of engagement along the alliance’s eastern borders.
What he’s saying:
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared Poland’s readiness to destroy any hostile objects that violate its airspace.
What they’re saying:
Lawmakers in Lithuania invoked Turkey’s 2015 downing of a Russian Su‑25 as precedent, calling for NATO countries to shoot down invading aircraft. The British Ministry of Defense echoed a similar readiness.
Key points:
- Resolution passed with 469 votes in favor, 97 against, and 38 abstentions.
- Supports coordinated, proportionate EU responses to airspace violations, up to and including the elimination of airborne threats.
- Condemns Russia’s “reckless and escalatory actions” in violating the airspace of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania.
- Cites deliberate drone incursions into Denmark, Sweden, and Norway’s critical infrastructure.
- On Sept. 19, three Russian MiG‑31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace without permission.
- Additional Russian jets were spotted over the Petrobaltic oil and gas platform inside Polish territorial waters.
Go deeper:
The resolution comes amid a string of airspace confrontations that have stirred NATO’s eastern flank. Estonia and Poland reported incursions by high‑speed Russian fighters near sensitive infrastructure, sparking renewed debate over air defense rules. Lithuania’s proposal to down invading aircraft mirrors NATO’s posture shift in 2015 after Turkey’s interception of a Russian jet. NATO allies are now weighing loosening restrictions for fighter pilots to engage enemy targets more aggressively along borders susceptible to Russian penetration.
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