NATO countries discuss new rules for shooting down Russian aircraft in Alliance airspace, - Belgian Defense Minister Francken
New rules for shooting down Russian aircraft and drones that penetrate NATO airspace are one of the topics of discussion within the Alliance.
As reported by Censor.NET with a link to RBC-Ukraine, this was stated by Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken during a conversation with journalists at NATO headquarters.
When asked whether NATO countries are currently discussing new rules that would make it easier to shoot down Russian aircraft in NATO airspace, Franken replied that this is indeed one of the topics under discussion.
"Yes, one of the topics of discussion is how we can respond more effectively to drones and be more flexible when it comes to Russian aggression in our airspace. That's true. And that also applies to the rules," Franken said.
He noted that some countries have their own rules, while Belgium does not. Belgium is fully integrated into NATO.
"Therefore, decisions are made by NATO officers. However, there are countries with their own rules, such as Poland and many others. This is also a matter of sovereignty, so the discussion is not straightforward," Franken added.
According to him, this applies not only to aircraft and drones, but also to ships. In other words, the decision to shoot down an aircraft or drone in Belgium is made by NATO. In other countries, it is made by the national minister or government.
"This is a big debate, but I also understand that it's not that simple," concluded the Belgian defense minister.
