Estonia's defence minister: Russia constantly tests NATO's Article 5 'red line'

Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform Party) said on Tuesday, ahead of an informal meeting of EU defence ministers, that Russia continues testing where the boundaries of acceptable behaviour lie in its relations with NATO. He argued Europe must strengthen its defence capacity while remaining composed as it investigates possible attacks and acts of sabotage.

Several incidents across European countries in recent times require thorough investigation, Pevkur noted. He referred not only to events in Leipzig but also to an attack on one of Estonia's largest defence companies. Identifying those responsible takes time, he said, though prosecutors are working actively and cooperating with Latvian authorities, since the people behind the attack came from Latvia.

The minister stressed that European intelligence services need closer cooperation and information-sharing to identify the organisers and perpetrators of such attacks. He also mentioned a fire at a facility belonging to German defence company KNDS near Rome, along with other incidents across Europe, saying these events must be investigated with maximum openness.

At the same time, Pevkur said Europe needs to build up its own defence capabilities, particularly air defence systems. He called for sending Russia a clear signal of European unity, noting that Russia constantly probes where the thin 'red line' of NATO's Article 5 actually lies.

Pevkur said he believes Russian special services do not limit themselves in choosing methods, but it is important for European countries not to give in to provocations and to investigate incidents carefully. He explained that if an incident does not amount to a military attack, invoking Article 5 is out of the question, but should something more serious occur, allied countries would come together to decide on a response.