Latvia’s Foreign Minister Baiba Braže has warned that Russia is deliberately testing NATO defenses with a series of drone and aircraft incursions along the alliance’s eastern flank.
Speaking to TVP World at the Warsaw Security Forum, she said both Poland and Estonia had been targeted in recent weeks, forcing NATO aircraft to respond.
“These two events clearly show what level of provocations and tensions there are,” Braže noted.
She stressed that while allies are prepared to shoot down hostile objects if necessary, deterrence remains the preferred outcome.
“Russia has been warned that if this continues, there will be shootdowns,” she said. “Nobody wants to shoot down anyone, but provocations must have consequences.”
The minister also backed plans for a “drone wall” along NATO’s eastern border, describing it as a layered system of sensors, jamming equipment and air defenses.
On the broader security outlook, Braže rejected Russian claims of a war with NATO, calling them “completely absurd.” She said supporting Ukraine militarily and economically remains Europe’s top priority, arguing that “a strong Ukraine is a security guarantee for all of Europe.”
Asked whether the United States would defend the Baltic states in the event of an attack, the minister was unequivocal. “It would be an attack on NATO. The U.S. has been very clear that every inch of allied territory will be defended. I don’t think America has better allies than the Baltic states and Poland.”