Russia testing NATO with Polish airspace incursions
Russia has been escalating its provocations against NATO, including violations of Polish airspace, in an apparent attempt to test the alliance's response capabilities.
Former Romanian Defence Minister Mihai-Viorel Fifor said NATO "responded promptly with a firm and coordinated reaction, under the umbrella of strategic solidarity."
Speaking on the public television station Moldova 1, Mr Fifor warned such incidents were part of Russia's hybrid warfare and would continue. He added that NATO must maintain a firm deterrent posture to counter the Kremlin's ambitions of destabilising European security.
Mr Fifor said he believed the provocations would persist, stressing that Russia knows no bounds. He said this was demonstrated by its hybrid war against NATO and EU member states and Moldova, and by its invasion of Ukraine.
"These kinds of provocations will continue to happen," Mr Fifor said. "I believe we will find ourselves in this situation again. It seems there are no limits for Putin. We’ve known this since 2014, with the illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula, followed by the invasion of Ukraine, and the hybrid warfare waged against Nato and EU member states and Moldova. These are complicated times, and I believe they must be treated with the utmost seriousness."
According to Mr Fifor, Russia was testing "the North Atlantic Alliance’s ability to react and respond" through actions such as the drone launches over Poland.
"I believe that what happened in Poland is one of the provocations the Russian Federation has accustomed us to throughout these years of illegal war against Ukraine. This time, they were much more severe than usual and involved multiple targets. Essentially, Poland had to deal with targets that penetrated their airspace. We saw an exemplary mobilisation of Nato forces, as multiple allies intervened, including Polish, Dutch, and Italian air forces. This shows the kind of mobilisation such a provocation requires," Mr Fifor stated on Moldova 1.
The former Romanian official added that these incidents were not "isolated" and that "Russia can only be deterred by a very determined Nato posture."
He also highlighted that the Nato Secretary General had reiterated the alliance's commitment to defend "every square inch" of its territory and that it would intervene whenever necessary.
During the show hosted by Radu Osipov, the former minister also highlighted the importance of Article 4 of the Nato Treaty - a tool that was activated in both 2014 after the annexation of Crimea and 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine.
"This is a first formal step in which a security issue is brought for debate before the entire alliance," Mr Fifor said. "This does not automatically imply military measures, but it creates the framework for common decisions, resolutions, and for strengthening the presence on the eastern flank and reinforcing deterrence measures. (...) This does not necessarily mean that Article 5 follows Article 4. Absolutely not. Military actions are not assumed as a result of these consultations."
Translation by Iurie Tataru
