NATO Secretary General Issues Message to Putin

Commenting on the breach of Polish airspace during the night, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that "a full assessment is ongoing," as reported by The Guardian.

According to him, "regardless of whether it was intentional or not, it is absolutely reckless and absolutely dangerous."

"My message to Putin is clear: stop the war in Ukraine, cease the escalation of the war he is currently waging against innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure, and halt the violation of allied airspace. Know that we are ready, we are vigilant, and we will defend every inch of NATO territory," said the NATO Secretary General.

At the same time, Rutte described the response to the breach of Polish airspace as "very successful."

"We must always ensure that we are one step ahead, but I believe last night we demonstrated that we are capable of defending every inch of NATO territory, including of course its airspace," he stated.

Previously, Poland had accused Russia of an "unprecedented" violation of its airspace. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted that Polish armed forces recorded 19 incursions of drones into the country’s airspace overnight. He reported that three or possibly four drones were shot down by Polish and NATO aircraft that were scrambled to neutralize the threat.

Warsaw has requested the application of Article 4 of the NATO treaty. This article allows member countries to raise concerns within the North Atlantic Council (NATO's main political decision-making body). Consultations are then held to determine whether the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of a member country is in jeopardy.