Repeated violations of airspace have prompted NATO and the EU have been alarmed. Austria too. About red lines that are emerging.
Drones and fighter jets used by NATO Russia and repeatedly violate European borders have created a new urgency. There is a growing conviction in Europe that violations of airspace must have clear and harsh consequences in future.
In an interview with Der Standard, Austria’s Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker announced that he would respond to possible breaches with “robust answers”. Specific measures would depend on the type of incident, but the national defense must be prepared. “I deliberately say rearm and not upgrade, because there is a lot of catching up to do,” he emphasized. Drone attacks are cheap, but defending against them is expensive.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of “extremely serious” border violations in light of several incidents in the Baltic Sea region. She called for a significantly stronger European pillar within NATO and announced that the EU would “protect every inch of its borders”. Up to 800 billion euros are to flow into closing capability gaps.
One core project is the planned drone wall along the EU’s eastern border. Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius wants to work together with the member states and the Ukraine to set up a line of defense that could be operational within a year. Ukrainian experience in the daily interception of Russian drones is to be incorporated.
NATO itself is also toughening its course. Secretary General Mark Rutte made it clear that the alliance would not react passively to further provocations. If aircraft in NATO airspace are classified as a threat, shooting them down cannot be ruled out. US President Donald Trump backed this line, but left open how he would support such action in concrete terms.
A new understanding of security is thus emerging. Europe no longer wants to signal vulnerability, but the ability to act. The planned drone wall and the clear words from Brussels, Vienna and Washington show that the alliance is prepared to draw red lines and defend its air sovereignty. Austria is joining the European security architecture and making it clear that smaller states are also part of this new determination.
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