At Estonia's initiative, an emergency meeting was convened at NATO headquarters under Article 4 of the alliance treaty. The reason was the violation of Estonian airspace by Russian MiG-31 fighters.
After the meeting, all 32 members of the alliance issued a joint statement. The document states that NATO and its allies are ready to use all necessary means, both military and non-military, within the framework of international law, to defend themselves and deter threats from all directions.
The statement emphasizes explicitly that NATO has the right to shoot down not only drones, but also Russian military aircraft if they are considered a threat to the alliance's territory.
According to analysts, this statement increases the risk of a direct military clash between NATO and Russia.
