European NATO Countries Reportedly Tell Russia They're Ready To Shoot Down Jets After Repeated Airspace Violations

Russian officials insist they are not trying to test the alliance

A Rafale jet fighter of the French Air Force patrols the airspace over Poland
A Rafale jet fighter of the French Air Force patrols the airspace over Poland

European NATO countries have reportedly told Moscow they are ready to respond to repeated violations of members' airspace, including by shooting down fighter jets.

Bloomberg detailed that the message was conveyed by British, French and German envoys in Moscow last week and followed the incursion of three Russian jets over Estonia.

The European officials concluded that the violation had been deliberate, even though Russian officials denied that was the case and emphasized they are not seeking to test the alliance.

Officials added that a recent incursion of drones into Polish territory was a mistake, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claiming the country's military guides itself by international rules.

The warning came before U.S. President Donald Trump said that Ukraine could win back all the territory taken by Moscow "with the support of the European Union." Moreover, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that if Moscow won't end the war soon, Kremlin officials should be well aware of the location of near bomb shelters.

Speaking to Axios, Zelensky said he had Trump's backing to hit Russian energy targets, as well as arms factories. He added that he asked Trump for a new weapons system that, according to him, would force Russian president Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.

"We need it, but it doesn't mean that we will use it," Zelensky said. "Because if we'll have it, I think it's additional pressure on Putin to sit and speak."

Originally published on Latin Times

Tags
NATO, Russia, Europe