NATO countries’ threats to shoot down Russian planes are dangerous in their consequences and are another significant spiral of tension near Russia’s borders, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“It looks like a self-exciting mechanism – now the European environment, they themselves are throwing in questions, making irresponsible statements, and statements about shooting down Russian planes are at least reckless and irresponsible and, of course, dangerous in their consequences,” Peskov said in an interview with the host of the programme “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin” programme on Rossiya-1 TV channel Pavel Zarubin.
Peskov reiterated NATO’s alleged lack of hard evidence that three Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace on 19 September.
As Bloomberg news agency wrote on 25 September, citing its sources, diplomats from Britain, France and Germany privately warned Moscow that NATO air defence forces were ready to shoot down Russian warplanes that violated NATO airspace.
Czech President Petr Pavel said on 20 September that Russia’s violation of NATO airspace significantly increases tensions in Europe. According to him, the member states of the military alliance are obliged to “adequately respond” to Moscow’s actions, “in particular in a military way.”
Leaders of other NATO countries also made similar statements.