Russia reacted sharply to Western leaders' suggestions to shoot down Russian aircraft violating NATO airspace. Ambassador Alexey Mieszkov warned what – according to the Kremlin – this would have consequences.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte supported on Thursday the words of US president Donald Trump, who stated this week that the Alliance associate states should shoot down Russian drones and aircraft violating their airspace if necessary.
– If necessary. I full agree with president Trump: if necessary," Rutte said in the Fox News program "Fox & Friends".
Russian representative: that would mean war
At the same time, he stressed that NATO troops are trained to measure specified threats and can decide whether it is possible to escort Russian machinery outside the territory of the associate States or whether more decisive action is needed.
Meanwhile, Russian ambassador to France, Alexey Mieszkov, warned that if NATO began to shoot down Russian aircraft violating the airspace of the associate states of the Alliance (in his opinion it would mean war.
– There would be a war. What else could it be? – said Mieszkow on the air of French RTL radio, answering a question about a possible reaction of Russia. He added that many aircraft violate Russian airspace, both accidentally and intentionally, but no 1 shoots them down.
Mieszkov besides stressed that Europe did not supply any "material evidence" confirming Russia's engagement in drone incidents in its territory. - First of all, we're not playing any games. Secondly, after so many lies on the part of the West, we believe only hard facts," said the Ambassador.
Germany matters that Europe must be ready for war
– We cannot believe that Putin – if he gets this far – will halt at the borders of Ukraine – said the German defence minister Boris Pistorius on 5 June 2024 in the Bundestag, which quoted DW. We must be ready for war by 2029. We must supply deterrents to prevent the worst," he added.
The year 2029, in which Russia is to be ready for another aggression and the limit of preparations for NATO, besides appeared in another statements by German officials. It was repeated by General Inspector of the Bundeswehr Gen. Carsten Breuer.
In an interview with DW he calculated the capabilities of Russia and the data on the equipment it produced and obtained: “At the same time, Russia will increase its armed forces to about 1.5 million soldiers next year. And we see fresh military structures, military districts, for example, that are clearly oriented towards the West.
– If we then combine it with intentions that we can read from Putin's speeches and video statements, on the 1 hand it clearly shows that 2029 is the point where material and personnel can emergence to specified an degree that the attack on NATO's territory will be possible," General Carsten Breuer pointed out in a conversation with DW.
