NATO allies draw a red line after Russian incursion

NEW YORK – NATO allies met on Monday for an emergency UN Security Council. The meeting, requested by Estonia after three Russian MiG-31s breached its skies, exposed the growing risks of escalation in Europe’s east. Allies sent a blunt warning to Moscow: any further violations of NATO airspace will be met with force.

The warnings came as Estonia invoked NATO’s Article 4, triggering consultations among allies on collective security. A North Atlantic Council meeting followed, according to a CNN article.

To support its case, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna presented radar data and photographs showing the jets flying armed and “combat ready” for 12 minutes over Vaindloo island in the Gulf of Finland. Sweden, Germany, and Italy swiftly reacted, mobilising  response to the incident.

NATO later confirmed the violation and called it part of a “wider pattern of irresponsible Russian behavior.” 

Moscow denies

Russia’s deputy ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy dismissed the claims as “Russophobic hysteria,” insisting the jets were conducting a planned flight and never broke international rules. He then accused NATO of “escalating tensions.”

Reactions from NATO members

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper strongly insisted Moscow is provoking “direct armed confrontation with NATO,” while the United States’ new UN ambassador, Michael Waltz, vowed allies would defend “every inch of NATO territory.” 

Poland’s Radosław Sikorski was even more blunt, stating if another aircraft crosses the border, “don’t come here to whine when it gets shot down.”

Other European officials were quick to reject the Russian narrative. France condemned the daylight airspace breach as “unprecedented in over 20 years,” while Denmark’s Lars Løkke Rasmussen warned Moscow’s provocations are designed to intimidate, noting that “Russia’s neighbors fear they could be next.”

According to official sources, this violation was the fourth Estonian airspace violation in 2025 alone, coming days after reported Russian drone incursions into Polish and Romanian territories.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the airspace breach as deliberate, pressing for strong Ukraine protection. “Russia will continue to provoke as long as we allow it. European security starts with Ukraine.”

Not everyone agrees

While the U.S. and UK joined EU representatives to condemn Moscow, China and several non-aligned members urged restraint and dialogue, citing a risky escalation.

Yet as the meeting concluded, there was a clear sense that a line had been drawn.