This is reported by Kyiv24
The United States Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Witaker, expressed his concerns regarding Russia’s actions in the airspace of Alliance countries. Speaking at a panel discussion at the European Policy Centre in Brussels, Witaker emphasized that he is not inclined to view violations of airspace by the Russian Federation as deliberate, but rather attributes them to the recklessness and incompetence of the Russian military.
Assessment of Russia’s Actions and NATO’s Response
The American diplomat highlighted that Russia often demonstrates its dissatisfaction with the provision of modern weaponry to Ukraine, particularly Tomahawk missiles, and seeks to present itself as a “bear” on the world stage. Witaker noted that the danger of Russia lies not in the strength of its economy or army, but in its unpredictability and the potential to take reckless actions that could have significant consequences for Europe’s security.
“You cannot assume that Russia is doing this intentionally. I think there is a lot of recklessness and incompetence that can be attributed to the Russians and their actions, and it should not be attributed to intentionality. In my opinion, this gives them too much credit,” remarked the American top diplomat.
Witaker reminded that Russia has failed to achieve significant successes in Ukraine even after nearly four years of war. According to him, Russia is dangerous precisely because of its irresponsibility, and NATO allies should prepare for possible destructive actions from the Kremlin.
Incidents in NATO Airspace
The ambassador noted that Russia is willing to sacrifice a large number of its citizens without having a clear strategic goal, which indicates its recklessness. In his opinion, countering such threats requires NATO to enhance various aspects of its defense policy and increase the readiness of Alliance forces.
Witaker also noted that after Donald Trump’s re-election as President of the United States, NATO has strengthened its positions and become more focused on defense capabilities and operational readiness. He emphasized that if necessary, the Alliance is capable of inflicting serious damage on the adversary.
This year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen referred to numerous violations of EU airspace by Russia as attempts to divide Europe and weaken support for Ukraine.
In September, NATO countries repeatedly accused Russia of unprecedented violations of airspace. For instance, around twenty drones entered Polish airspace on the night of September 10. On September 13, according to the Romanian Ministry of Defense, a Russian drone, attacking Ukraine, violated Romanian airspace and remained there for 50 minutes. On September 19, three MiG-31 fighter jets of the Russian Air Force invaded Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland and stayed there for 12 minutes. NATO condemned these actions and placed full responsibility for the escalation on Russia.
Russia traditionally rejects all accusations of violating the airspace of Alliance member countries.