Russian Ambassador to France Alexey Meshkov told RTL radio that if NATO decided to shoot down a Russian plane accused of violating airspace, there would be war. "What could be different?" - the Ambassador said, emphasizing that many aircraft had encroached on Russian airspace, both accidentally and intentionally, but "no one had shot them down".
According to this diplomat, Europe has so far not presented any specific evidence that Russia is behind the UAV cases appearing on the continent. "We are not joking with anyone. After the West has deceived us many times, we only believe in valid evidence, Ambassador Meshkov affirmed.
Previously, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, US President Donald Trump, when meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, publicly supported the idea of NATO shot down Russian aircraft if they violated the airspace of member countries. When asked if the US was ready to support its NATO ally, Mr. Trump replied depending on the situation.
On the Russian side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied the accusations of Russian military aircraft violating the airspace of other countries, saying the accusations were unfounded and unfounded. He affirmed that the Russian air force "always strictly comply with international flight regulations, not violating the border".
Tensions broke out after Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said tallinn had requested consultations under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, accusing three Russian MiG-31 fighters of flying into Estonian airspace on the morning of September 19. However, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that it was a regular flight from Karelia to Kaliningrad, completely on the agreed route, "not violating any national territory".
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a G20 Foreign Minister's meeting continued to accuse NATO and the EU of "really declaring war on Russia via Ukraine" and of being directly involved in the conflict.
He stressed that the West refuses to comply with the UN Charter, promoting new-style colonial aspirations, increasing global instability and prolonging the regional crisis.
Mr. Lavrov also linked the Ukrainian crisis with the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, where he said "there were 65,000 deaths and the actual figure could be 10 times higher". He warned that the entire Middle East is in a state of instability.
According to the Russian Foreign Minister, the 80th anniversary of the victory over Germany's socialist regime and Japanese phietalism further reminds the international community that the United Nations principle must be comprehensively respected if it is to maintain peace and sustainable development for all countries.
"Based on the principles recognized in the United Nations Charter comprehensively is the key to the peaceful and progressive development of all countries, without exception - large or small," Mr. Lavrov said.
