How serious is the Russian threat to Europe?

With Washington unwilling to offer leadership, European Nato allies can’t afford to let their guard down.

How serious is the Russian threat to Europe? That is the question I address and seek to answer in this new opinion piece in The Observer.

After 19 Russian drones flew across the Polish border and pilots in three Russian MIGs flying into Estonian airspace ignored repeated warning to leave, this question suddenly looms large at NATO headquarters.

For the second time this month, and only the nineth time in its history, NATO convened an emergency meeting called by Estonia to discuss a threat to its security and independence. Ambassadors around the table reviewed the incidents with the Alliance’s military leadership and debated what to do for five hours.

At the end, they released a compromise statement warning Russia that “NATO and Allies will employ, in accordance with international law, all necessary military and non-military tools to defend ourselves and deter all threats from all directions.”

Some allies had wanted to go further, issuing a direct warning that NATO or an ally could shoot down the next Russian plane violating its airspace. Others worried that the alliance might needlessly escalate the war in Europe that everyone wants to end.

Read the entire article in The Observer.