NATO hawks itching to shoot down Russian planes – Telegraph
NATO defense chiefs have been privately lobbying to expand the US-led military bloc’s engagement guidelines to allow it to shoot down Russian jets carrying ground-attack missiles, The Telegraph wrote on Tuesday.
According to the outlet, the NATO supreme allied commander Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich, has privately called for the creation of a “unified, single air and missile defense system” to plug gaps in the ability to engage Russian jets.
A number of NATO members currently have different rules of engagement for shooting down aircraft over their territory.
The news follows an incident last month in which Estonia called for NATO-wide consultations after alleging that Russian fighter jets briefly violated its airspace. Moscow said the planes were on a routine flight to Kaliningrad over neutral waters.
NATO defense ministers met in Brussels on Wednesday.
Speaking at the event, Secretary General Mark Rutte said members states already “have all the authorities needed” to neutralize any jets that threaten them.
“We are not going to take down an airplane in NATO airspace if it does not pose a threat,” he said.
Moscow has branded recent threats by NATO countries to shoot down its planes as “reckless and irresponsible,” as well as “dangerous in their consequences.”
“Allegations against Russia that its warplanes have violated someone’s airspace are groundless,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
