It’s not every day when NATO, arguably the world’s strongest military alliance, is shooting down hostile aircraft in its airspace. Yet that’s exactly what occurred last week after more than a dozen Russian drones breached Poland’s airspace, which forced NATO to scramble jets to defend a member state from a potential threat. Days later, another Russian drone drifted into Romania. Although no air defenses were activated in this specific case, the two incursions have generated a wave of alarm in European capitals that Russian President Vladimir Putin is, if not trying to destroy NATO, then at least testing its durability.
The jitters in Europe are perfectly understandable. After all, never before in NATO’s 76-year history has it engaged a Russian aircraft in its own airspace. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte slammed Moscow for “reckless and unacceptable” behavior. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that last week’s events brought Europe “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II.” Some international affairs commentators have gone a step further, arguing that if President Donald Trump doesn’t respond to the Russian breaches, then NATO itself could be exposed as a paper tiger and the credibility of America’s security guarantees will go in the toilet.
The entire narrative in the days since has centered on negativity and panic, as if an entire continent is now at risk of being swallowed up by the Russian menace. But it’s times like these, when the rhetoric is so fevered, when perspective is most needed.
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