Echoes of 1939: Czech president warns Europe not to appease Russia
Czech President Petr Pavel said that unprovoked violations of NATO countries' airspace by Russian aircraft or drones can no longer be simply ignored — the Alliance has the right to respond with force. This was reported by The Public with reference to The Times.
The head of state stressed that not every violation will lead to the downing of an aircraft, but repeated incidents could force NATO countries to resort to a ‘military response.’ In his opinion, only such tough measures can make Moscow realise that there are insurmountable limits to the right to violate sovereignty.
Pavel, a former head of NATO's Military Committee, stressed that Russia is deliberately testing the Alliance's collective security system and the willingness of Western countries to use force.
In the event of further provocations, he believes that NATO must be prepared to respond decisively — otherwise, the aggressor will continue to test the limits of patience.
This statement comes against the backdrop of regular violations of the Alliance's borders by Russia — in particular, cases where Russian aircraft or drones have entered the airspace of Poland, Estonia and other countries.
