NATO chief Mark Rutte pledged the alliance’s “absolute solidarity” in a call with Romania’s president Friday, slamming Russia for a drone crash that injured two people in the country bordering Ukraine.
“I affirmed that NATO stands ready to defend every inch of Allied territory,” Rutte said. “We will continue to enhance our readiness to deter and defend against any threat, including from drones.” Rutte said “Russia’s reckless behaviour is a danger to us all.”
“They continue to target civilians and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, and last night showed yet again that the implications of their illegal war of aggression don’t stop at the border.”
The US ambassador to NATO denounced a “reckless incursion” on Romanian territory — though he did not explicitly call out Russia over the incident.
“We stand with our NATO Ally Romania and condemn this reckless incursion on its territory,” Ambassador Matthew Whitaker wrote on X, vowing: “We will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
NATO’s top commander, US General Alexus Grynkewich, spoke to Romania’s military chief about the incident, the alliance said.
“They also agreed to stay in particularly close contact with one another as an investigation of the incident continues, and potential additional defensive measures are considered,” NATO’s supreme headquarters said.
Multiple sources at NATO said there was no indication whether Bucharest would call for emergency consultations under the alliance’s Article Four.
That move would still be well short of NATO’s Article Five mutual defence clause being triggered, which has happened only once in the alliance’s 77-year history after the September 11 attacks in the United States.
Article Four consultations have been called three times during Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine.
The first time just after the invasion in 2022, once by Poland after incursions by Russian drones, and once by Estonia after Russian fighter jets violated its airspace.
Romania summoned the Russian ambassador, and Romanian President Nicusor Dan convened a national defense council meeting to discuss “the most serious incident to have affected our national territory” since Russia invaded Ukraine.
NATO member states bordering Ukraine or Russia, including Romania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, are increasingly exposed to incursions into their territory by drones from both warring sides.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Russia’s “war of aggression” had “crossed yet another line”, pledging to increase deterrence on the EU’s Eastern border. (AFP)
