NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday the North Atlantic Council had met after Poland invoked Article 4 of the NATO Treaty in response to Russian drones crossing into its airspace.
Article 4 authorized consultations among allies after its armed forces downed multiple Russian drones. The coalition that took on the Russian drones included Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian AWACS early warning and control aircraft, and German Patriot missiles, Mr. Rutte said.
“I commend the pilots and all who contributed to this quick and skillful response,” he said. “Allies expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s reckless behavior. A full assessment of the incident is ongoing.”
The NATO chief said Russia’s drone incursion into Polish territory wasn’t an isolated incident and is linked to Moscow’s ongoing war with Ukraine. Mr. Rutte said U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s supreme allied commander, will continue to “actively manage our deterrence and defense posture along the entire eastern flank.”
“Allies are resolved to defend every inch of allied territory,” Mr. Rutte said.
The Russian drone incursion reinforces the importance of NATO and the agreement made by allies earlier this year at its summit in The Hague, he said.
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“We need to invest more in our defense and ramp up defense production to have what we need to deter and defend,” Mr. Rutte said. “We need to continue to support Ukraine, whose security is interlinked with our own.”
Mr. Rutte said NATO’s assessment will determine whether the incident was intentional or an accident. Regardless, he said it was “absolutely reckless.”
“My message is clear: Stop the war in Ukraine and stop the escalating war that [Russian President Vladimir Putin] is now mounting on innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure,” Mr. Rutte said. “Stop violating allied airspace and know that we stand ready, that we are vigilant, and that we will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
