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NATO allies clash after Russian jets breach airspace, testing alliance resolve
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EXCLUSIVE: Recent Russian incursions into NATO airspace have sharpened divisions inside the alliance over how to respond, exposing both the strength and the limits of collective defense.
Secretary General Mark Rutte clashed with Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal last week after Estonia invoked NATO’s Article 4 clause, which triggers consultations when a member feels its security is threatened.
According to three European officials granted anonymity to speak freely, Rutte argued that repeated invocations risked diluting the treaty’s force. One source said he even raised his voice at Michal, warning that NATO must be cautious about how often it signals alarm.
Rutte argued that if Article 4 were invoked every time Russia violated sovereignty — through drone incursions, fighter jets, cyberattacks and more — it would quickly lose impact, according to the officials.
DENMARK CONSIDERS TRIGGERING NATO ARTICLE 4 AFTER DRONES FLY OVER AIRPORTS
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in front of NATO and Ukraine flags (Thomas Peter/Reuters)
A NATO spokesperson confirmed Rutte and Michal spoke Friday and said the secretary general «has supported Estonia throughout the process.»
Rasmus Ruuda, director of the Government Communication Office of Estonia, told Fox News Digital Rutte «expressed support for Estonia and the Prime Minister thanked NATO for its actions.»
«Article 4 is just a signal that we’re taking note of what happened,» said Giedrimas Jeglinskas, a Lithuanian member of parliament and former NATO assistant secretary general. «We can be invoking Article 4 every week, and I think that only weakens us, because we’re unable to truly respond to that aggression that Russia is sort of throwing at us.»
The tension comes after a series of provocative moves by Moscow. Last month, missile-carrying Russian MiG-29s flew into Estonian territory, following an earlier breach of Polish airspace by 19 drones and repeated incursions over Romania. In Poland, jets scrambled to intercept the drones, shooting some of them down. It marked the first time since World War II that Polish armed forces mobilized to engage an airborne threat over their homeland.
The Russian jets in Estonia were eventually escorted out of its territory by Italian F-35s. Estonia’s Article 4 request followed Poland’s own invocation days earlier, prompting another round of consultations in Brussels.
MiG-29 jet fighters perform during a Victory Day parade in Red Square in Moscow on June 24, 2020. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Since its creation in 1949, Article 4 has been triggered only nine times. NATO’s warning to Russia after the Estonian request was blunt: any further breaches would be met with «all means» of defense. Estonia’s defense minister said his nation was prepared to shoot down Russian planes violating airspace «if there is a need.»
But Jeglinskas said signaling without consequence risks leaving the alliance trapped.
«We’re happy to do Article 4 every other day, but so what? What’s next?» he said. «The real question is what happens when the jets actually enter our airspace.»
The debate cuts to a deeper question: what constitutes a «need» to shoot down Russian jets? How can Russia be deterred without stumbling into direct war?
«The last thing we want is to have NATO get drawn into a war with Russia,» a senior State Department official told Fox News Digital. «God knows how that ends.»
«Almost all wars … they don’t necessarily start with a big bang,» the official went on. «They start with an escalation, and then somebody feels they need to respond to this, and then you just get in a toxic spiral.»
‘PUTIN IS PUSHING THE LIMITS’: EASTERN ALLIES WARN TRUMP NOT TO PULL US TROOPS
The United States has promised to defend «every inch» of NATO while pressing Europe to bear more of its own defense burden. Washington’s mixed signals have only complicated matters.
Trump administration officials long favored reducing the U.S. troop presence in Europe. But President Donald Trump recently delivered one of the starkest warnings to Moscow, declaring that NATO states should shoot Russian aircraft down if they incur on their territory.
Jeglinskas said the statement resonated across the Baltic States. «What was really helpful was that President Trump was very clear,» he said. «That gives us confidence we’re on the right track, and we really appreciate the support.»
Still, allies remain divided on whether to escalate. Some warn that Eastern Europe cannot credibly threaten retaliation without an American security guarantee. Others argue that deterrence depends on showing Russia its incursions carry a cost.
«If we really want to send a proper message of deterrence to Russia, we need to be prepared to use kinetic force,» Jeglinskas said. «That means neutralizing those jets — shooting them down or finding other ways to impose consequences — so Russia actually feels the cost of its incursions. That hasn’t happened yet, and it leaves us vulnerable.»
Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal led his country in invoking Article 4 after Russian jet incursions. (Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters)
The airspace disputes now extend beyond fighter jets. European Union members are meeting in Copenhagen this week to discuss shoring up air defenses after a wave of drone sightings. Denmark briefly shut down its airspace following mysterious drone activity, while Lithuania’s Vilnius airport and Norway’s Oslo airport also reported disruptions. Drones have even been spotted over Germany’s northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.
«We are not at war, but we are no longer at peace either. We must do much more for our own security,» German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Düsseldorf.
NATO jets scrambled to intercept drones over Poland, but the response underscored a growing mismatch: deploying multi-million dollar fighters to counter small, unmanned aircraft is neither efficient nor sustainable.
RUSSIA SHIFTS FROM TALK TO ACTION, TARGETING NATO HOMELAND AMID FEARS OF GLOBAL WAR
«NATO remains the most crucial element of our security equation,» Jeglinskas said. «It’s the backbone through which our security is viewed. There’s really no doubt about NATO’s political will and its capability to defend its territory, but warfare is changing — and the question now is, has NATO adapted to the new way of war that is seeping through the borders of Ukraine?»
Jeglinskas warned that neither NATO nor the Baltic States have done enough. «The Polish incursion signified that NATO is not fully ready to counter these threats,» he said. «Scrambling jets is a tremendous economic mismatch. If these kinds of attacks become swarms, it’s not sustainable.»
A French Rafale fighter jet is seen after landing following a joint mission with Polish F16s at an air base in Minsk Mazowiecki on September 17, 2025, as part of the Eastern Sentry mission (THIBAUD MORITZ/AFP via Getty Images)
To address mounting threats, NATO last month launched Operation Eastern Sentry, reinforcing its presence on Europe’s eastern flank. Jeglinskas welcomed the move but said gaps remain.
«Jets are very important, but more jets don’t mean we’re more secure from low-altitude drones,» he said. «The question is: do we have sensors that can detect what’s happening from the ground up to a kilometer into our airspace? We don’t see that. It’s like a dead space.»
Jeglinskas called for stronger short- and medium-range radar, as well as layered defenses akin to Israel’s Iron Dome, capable of intercepting drones with both kinetic and electronic means.
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«NATO’s response is commendable,» he said, «but it’s not enough. You need technical know-how, the right capabilities, and systems that are truly integrated if you want to make this work.»
For now, NATO remains caught between signaling resolve and acting on it. As Russia continues to test the alliance’s borders, Jeglinskas and other Eastern European officials warn that credibility is at stake. The next incursion, they argue, may demand more than words.
nato,russia,the european union,conflicts defense,vladimir putin,world,politics
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The Democrats are taking a big gamble by going along with a government shutdown, one that they will probably lose.
The most important reason is that President Trump has a giant megaphone. Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer simply can’t compete in drawing media attention.
What’s more, while some Americans may blame both sides – can’t they act like adults and work out these budget fights? – the Republicans are blaming the «Democrat Party» for triggering the shutdown.
At yesterday’s White House briefing, itself a key advantage, JD Vance and Karoline Leavitt kept repeating, like a mantra, that the Democrats support «healthcare for illegal aliens.» That is bunk. They aren’t eligible. It’s already against the law, except in emergency situations. But Trump is pounding that message home through sheer repetition.
VANCE BLAMES SCHUMER’S FEAR OF AOC PRIMARY CHALLENGE AS SHUTDOWN CAUSE
Democratic leadership sits at a sizable disadvantage when it comes to government shutdown-related messaging. (J. Scott Applewhite, file/AP Photo)
A Washington Post editorial yesterday says «Democrats just marched into a shutdown trap … Progressives embraced the same disastrous mentality that led the House Freedom Caucus to believe it could come out ahead in previous government funding standoffs: They wrongly assumed their political leverage would withstand the ensuing fallout.»
A few minutes after the briefing, Hakeem Jeffries stepped before the microphones to declare that Republicans don’t want to provide healthcare «to working-class Americans.»
The minority leader said the administration is trying to «jam their extreme right-wing agenda down the throats of the American people … The Republican healthcare crisis is immoral.»
Frankly, it just didn’t sound as forceful or have the same impact.
Vice President JD Vance suggested Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is pivoting left for fear of a primary challenge by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (Alex Brandon, Pool/AP Photo)
Whatever the immediate toll of the shutdown – military people and hundreds of thousands of civilians not getting paid, food stamps on hold – Vance and Leavitt blamed it on Democratic intransigence. (Those laid off will get back pay once the shutdown ends.)
The vice president said Schumer is moving left because he’s terrified of a primary challenge by AOC. She says her only goal is to «stop this madness.»
The president has been more candid, telling reporters: «We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them and irreversible by them. Like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.» Now that’s transparency.
The Dems don’t hold the moral high ground when it comes to kick-the-can votes to delay a shutdown, having frequently used the tactic when they were in charge. While Vance says they’d be happy to talk about healthcare during a seven-week delay, the other party feels they would lose whatever leverage they have, and it would be politically humiliating.
The Democrats are making a more complicated argument about healthcare, and that’s a tougher sell for the many millions who don’t follow the news closely.
KFF, which is Kaiser, says those on Obamacare would get socked if tax credits are allowed to expire at year’s end. Average premiums next year would be $888, but without the tax credits, would jump to $1,593 – a 114 percent increase.
That would really cripple the Affordable Care Act and knock millions off the rolls.
SOCIAL SECURITY, AIRPORTS, FOOD STAMPS: HOW ARE YOU AFFECTED DURING A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN?
The Dems’ other objection is to deep cuts in Medicaid, despite Trump’s promise to protect the program. But that’s why we have elections. Having lost the House, Senate and White House, the party can’t expect the GOP to make sweeping changes to its preferred budget.
It just so happens – a coincidence, I’m sure – that the administration yesterday halted $18 billion in funding for two major transportation projects in New York City, expansion of the Second Avenue subway and new train tunnels under the Hudson River.
A shot at Schumer’s hometown? Vance says this is a question of «triage,» saving money on such projects to preserve essential services.
But it’s really a case of Trump going after Democratic priorities, as he said he would, since he preserved funding for one of his pet projects, the mission of returning to the moon, which seems less than vital at the moment.
SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., appeared outraged by an AI image of him shared online by the president. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu/Getty Images)
What really got Jeffries mad after Monday’s unsuccessful White House meeting was a fake AI image posted by the president. It depicted him as having a handlebar mustache and wearing a huge sombrero, with mariachi music in the background.
Jeffries called the parody «racist» and demanded that the president «say it to my face.»
The bottom line, given the atmosphere of mutual distrust, is that this government closure could drag on for awhile. That would gradually boost the pain level, and the Democrats are already at a disadvantage.
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At this point the opposition party is trying to show the public that it can fight, and that, beyond the healthcare battle, may be its main message.
media buzz,donald trump,chuck schumer,congress,white house,government shutdown
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EXCLUSIVE: Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is accusing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of refusing to vote to end the government shutdown to kowtow to his left-wing base.
Johnson told Fox News Digital in a sit-down interview that Democrats’ refusal to budge on their current position came up in an hour-long call with President Donald Trump Wednesday afternoon.
«[Trump is] very bothered by that, that Chuck Schumer would do this, Democrats would do this, because we haven’t,» the top House Republican said.
He noted that Democrats had voted on a similar measure to what Republicans are offering on 13 different occasions under former President Joe Biden.
SOCIAL SECURITY, AIRPORTS, FOOD STAMPS: HOW ARE YOU AFFECTED DURING A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN?
House Speaker Mike Johnson, right, is criticizing Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s, left, for refusing to agree to a GOP-led plan to avert a government shutdown. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
«And even when the Republicans were in the minority, we did the right thing to keep the government open. And we fully expected that Schumer would do that again, as he always has, but not this time,» Johnson said.
«This is a selfish political calculation he’s made, that he’s got to prove to the far left that he’s going to fight Trump or something. So, we talked about our frustration with that.»
He said Trump appeared «happy» that Republicans remain unified in their federal funding stance but was concerned about the effects of a prolonged shutdown on everyday Americans.
REPUBLICANS ERUPT OVER SHUTDOWN CHAOS, ACCUSE DEMS OF HOLDING GOVERNMENT ‘HOSTAGE’
«But the reason we’re happy about that is because we know we’re doing the right thing for the American people,» Johnson said. «And Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are demonstrating that they are willing to inflict this pain upon the people for their own political purposes. And I think that is a tough thing for them to get over.»
He said of a meeting between congressional leaders and Trump that occurred Monday: «I tried my best in the White House, and he just is in no mood to have a real discussion about these issues. So, we are where we are.»
President Donald Trump, right, salutes Air Force Col. Christopher M. Robinson, commander, 89th Airlift Wing, before boarding Marine One upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)
Senate Democrats have now rejected a GOP-led plan to fund federal agencies through Nov. 21 three times.
The measure is called a continuing resolution (CR) and is aimed at buying House and Senate negotiators more time to reach a deal on fiscal year 2026 federal funding priorities.
The CR would keep current federal funding levels roughly flat while adding an extra $88 million in security spending for lawmakers, the White House and the judicial branch.
Democrats, furious at being largely sidelined in funding discussions, have signaled they would not accept any bill that does not also extend Obamacare tax subsidies that were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those enhanced subsidies are due to expire at the end of this year.
But Johnson, who called the Obamacare subsidies an «end-of-year issue,» argued that the bill was a simple extension of federal funding, leaving Republicans with no realistic path for concessions.
Sen. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks with reporters near his office on Capitol Hill Sept. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
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«If it was not clean and simple, if I had loaded it up with a bunch of Republican partisan priorities, then there would be something for us to negotiate. I could take those things off and offer it again. I sent it over with nothing attached at all,» he said.
«It quite literally is just buying us time to finish the appropriations process, which was being done in a bipartisan manner. So, I don’t have anything to give, there’s nothing I can give. And Chuck Schumer has made such outrageous counter-demands and proposals that he’s the one that has to come to his senses.»
He was referring to Democrats’ counter-proposal for a CR, which would have repealed the Medicaid reforms made in Republicans’ One Big, Beautiful Bill, while restoring funding for NPR and PBS that was cut by the Trump administration earlier this year.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schumer’s office for a response but did not hear back by press time.
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