NATO Parliamentary Assembly discussed Russia’s airspace violations

Head of the Estonian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Raimond Kaljulaid and member of the delegation Marko Mihkelson gave the Standing Committee, which brings together the heads of member state delegations, an overview of Russia’s violation of Estonia’s airspace, due to which Estonia requested NATO Article 4 consultations and, for the first time, initiated an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Kaljulaid said that the Estonian delegation also gave the allies an overview of the situation on Estonia’s eastern border, which had been met with exceptional interest.

Border violations were also discussed at today’s Plenary Sitting of the Annual Session, where NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte gave a speech and answered questions from delegates. “During the assembly’s debate with Secretary General Rutte, the question arose as to whether the violation of Estonia’s airspace was intentional. It came as a surprise to us that Secretary General Rutte also considered it possible that it was a mistake. We pointed out that the Russian pilots were naturally aware that they were flying in NATO airspace, and that it certainly could not have been an accident or a mistake,” Kaljulaid said.

Mihkelson underlined that NATO must be more decisive than it had been so far. “Russia must know that NATO will not tolerate deliberate violations of our sovereign territory. There must be zero tolerance in this regard. NATO must move from the Baltic airspace patrol mission to an air defence mission,” he said.

The same topic was addressed in the resolution adopted today by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which noted that Russia’s recent airspace incursions of Estonia and other allies were in line with Russia’s escalating behaviour towards the Allies’ territory, populations, infrastructure, and interests. The Assembly also welcomed NATO’s decision to launch the Eastern Sentry vigilance measure, under which Allies are strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence posture with additional air defence elements in Estonia and across the Eastern Flank.

In the resolution on supporting Ukraine, the Assembly recommended that NATO allies ensure the timely and continuous delivery of air defence, long-range precision strike systems, ammunition, and other critical capabilities needed by Ukraine, expand and tighten sanctions on Russia, and reaffirm that Russia’s attempts to annex Ukrainian territory will never be recognized.

At its Annual Session, the Assembly adopted a total of six resolutions which, in addition to NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities and support for Ukraine, addressed the strengthening of economic cooperation, increasing of societies’ resilience to external interference, the future of unmanned warfare, and the situation in the Western Balkans.

During the Annual Session in Ljubljana, the Estonian delegation also participated in a separate meeting with delegations from the Nordic Countries and the Baltic States, as well as Poland, and Germany.

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: NATO Parliamentary Assembly discussed Russia’s airspace violations

Source: Parliament of Estonia