For more than a month, Russia has been pushing the envelope in terms of a potential attack on a NATO ally.
The alarming conduct began in Ukraine when a Russian strike took place less than a mile from a NATO nation's border.
Then, Russia committed a violation of Polish airspace, and now its jets have violated Estonian airspace as well, a move that drew a rebuke from Trump's new U.N. ambassador, Mike Waltz.
When Russia carried out the strike against Ukraine near the Romanian border, it seemed like a bit of a test.
I don’t remember the exact words I used in my report on the topic, but I do remember saying that it seemed as though Russia was starting to push the envelope a bit in terms of these attacks just to get a response from NATO allies.
Two German fighters were deployed, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky begging for NATO countries to intervene.
He stated, "All of these are demonstrative strikes that only confirm the need to put pressure on Moscow, the need to impose new sanctions and tariffs until diplomacy is fully effective. I thank all partners who are helping to stop this Russian war. Together with the United States, Europe, and all those who seek peace."
When the drones crashed in Poland, this, to me, was another escalation by Russia to see how much it could get away with before NATO forces would start to engage.
Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, seemed to agree, stating, “Interestingly, they were all duds, which suggests to me that Russia tried to test us without starting a war.”
Romania summoned Moscow’s ambassador, Vladimir Lipaev, to the foreign ministry, stating, “Such recurring incidents contribute to the escalation and amplification of threats to regional security.”
Now, this is when I really thought Russia wanted to see just how far it could go without starting a war. And since there was no real reaction other than words, it now appears that Russia is pushing things even further.
This time, Russian fighters blatantly crossed into Estonian airspace, so you can see the progression. From a border strike, then to drones, then to an actual presence in NATO territory.
Waltz responded, "The United States stands by our NATO allies in the face of these airspace violations, and I want to take this first opportunity to repeat and to emphasize the United States and our allies will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
According to reports, this was not just a quick pass, either, but involved roughly 12 minutes over Estonian territory, which easily could have resulted in a strike against those jets. Russia, of course, denied this even happened, stating, "There is no proof except the Russophobic hysteria coming from Tallinn.”
We are in very dangerous territory right now, and I have to wonder just how far Russia is now willing to go. Call me crazy, but it seems like Russia wants to start a World War, but that makes no sense considering how depleted its military resources currently are. And it is not really Russia that scares me; it is China, a nation that has been stockpiling for years.
