Journalism of Courage
The United States-led NATO has launched an operation in order to beef up the defence of its eastern flank in Europe, two days after Poland, a member-state of NATO, shot down Russian drones that violated its airspace in first of its kind attack on Moscow by a member of the Western military alliance since the Russia-Ukraine war started in February 2022.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the operation on Friday and said the initiative would involve assets from Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Germany among others. Warsaw believes the drone incursion by Moscow was an attempt by Russia to test the capabilities of Poland and NATO to respond.
During a session in United Nations, US termed the airspace violation by Russian drones “alarming” and vowed to “defend every inch of NATO territory”. The remarks appeared to appease America’s NATO allies after President Donald Trump had said that drone incursion by Russia could have been a mistake.
However, Poland has differed from President Trump’s stance that Moscow’s drones incursions were a mistake, in a rare occurrence of contradiction between the White House and Warsaw. Poland’s foreign minister has said that Washington would take actions in solidarity with Warsaw, Reuters reported.
Announcing the Eastern Sentry operation, NATO chief Rutte said, “Eastern Sentry will add flexibility and strength to our posture and make clear that, as a defensive alliance, we are always ready to defend.” He added that Russia’s drone incursion in Poland’s territory on Wednesday was “dangerous and unacceptable” and that it was “not an isolated incident.”
“Russia’s recklessness in the air, along our eastern flank, is increasing in frequency,” the NATO chief added, reported CNN.
Defending the country’s military, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said its forces were attacking Ukraine when the drone incursion is allegedly said to have happened and that it had not intended to hit targets in Poland.
(with inputs from Reuters, CNN)
