Europe is in ‘confrontation’ with Russia, warns Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that Europe was already in a “confrontation” with Russia.

The statement came as European leaders gathered at Denmark’s capital Copenhagen where defence initiatives such as a ‘drone wall’ and support for Ukraine in the war with Russia topping the agenda of their discussions. The summit was called after Russia rattled European nations with continuing aerial incursions.

In an interaction with the reporters ahead of the first meeting of leaders, Macron said that Europe and Russia have been in conflict for a long time.

“We are in a confrontation with Russia, which for several years has been very aggressive in the information space, also during elections, and is increasing its cyberattacks,” said Macron, according to Politico.

However, Macron did not say Russia was at war with Europe, he said referred to “hybrid threats in the field of confrontation.”

“Anyone who violates airspace is liable to reprisals: it is our right. We are tested,” said Macron in an apparent reference to Nato’s pledge to shoot down intruding Russian aircraft. US President Donald Trump has backed the pledge.

On her part, European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that Russia’s aerial incursions amounted to ‘state-sponsored terrorism’.

“We see Russia clearly escalating with the different type of incursions that they are doing,” said Kallas.

In recent weeks, Nato members Poland, Estonia, and Romania have reported Russian aerial incursions. In the most serious instance, Poland said it joined Nato allies to shoot down Russian drones on Sept. 9 after at least 19 drones entered its airspace.

Denmark, Norway, and Sweden have also reported aerial incursions, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen blaming Russia for the first round of drone sightings in her country. She said she “cannot rule out in any way that it is Russia” responsible for drones that shut down Copenhagen’s airport for several hours. She called it “most serious attack so far against Danish critical infrastructure”.

Nato’s pledge to shoot down intruding Russian aircraft

Nato chief Mark Rutte has said that member-states would shoot down Russian drones if they’d pose a threat. But he said that the broader response of member-states would depend on escalation ladder.

“Our military, our military commanders, our fighter jets, pilots, they can do what is necessary to keep our people safe. If it is, if there is no direct threats, they will escort these planes out of allied airspace. If there is a direct threat, they might ultimately do the ultimate thing,” Rutte told CNN in an interview.

Separately, major European powers have conveyed to the Kremlin that they would shoot down Russian aircraft in case of future incursions.

At a meeting with Russian officials in Moscow, British, French, and German envoys set their countries would shoot down Russian aircraft in case of further incursions, according to Bloomberg.

Rutte, however, admitted shortcomings in addressing the challenge from students.

“It is not sustainable that you would take down $1,000- or $2,000-costing drones with missiles that cost you maybe half a million or a million dollars. All of us are rapidly developing the technologies and learning from Ukrainians,” Rutte told Bloomberg.

In the short term, Rutte admitted that Nato lacked the technology, but he said appropriate means to tackle drones, based on the learnings from the war in Ukraine, would be rolled out in the coming weeks.