German Defense Minister: Don't Fall into Putin's Trap

Denmark - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called on NATO member states to remain calm and avoid falling into the "trap" set by Russia when its aircraft were suspected of violating its airspace on Tuesday.

Pistorius said during a press conference in Berlin alongside Swedish Defense Minister Peter Wallenberg that an overreaction to Russia's invasion threatens Europe's peace and security. He stated, "Calmness is neither weakness nor fear, but a responsibility for our country and the peace of Europe."

He also added, "Hasty demands to shoot at aerial targets or show off military strength is of no help to the current situation." On Tuesday, after Pistorius made his remarks, US President Trump met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the UN General Assembly in New York and stated that NATO members should shoot down Russian planes that infringe on their territory.

On Friday, Russian combat aircraft violated Estonian airspace for 12 minutes, forcing NATO to deploy fighter jets, and Tallinn also requested a meeting with NATO. This incident occurred more than a week after Poland initiated consultations with NATO following the downing of a Russian drone over eastern Poland.

Pistorius said that Russian leader Putin wants to provoke NATO allies into making a strong reaction, as part of an "escalation trap," and urged his allies not to fall into it. "We will not let Putin succeed," he said. "We must protect ourselves and avoid the situation from worsening."

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said earlier on Tuesday that NATO forces would decide whether to engage with Russian aircraft based on existing threat intelligence. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, "We will not allow ourselves to be provoked."

He said, "This is extremely important, by the way, and it is also a lesson from history, because many wars in the past started this way."

Source: rfi

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844102210838730/

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