Disagreement has emerged within the German governing coalition regarding the appropriate response to Russian fighter jets violating NATO airspace. Florian Hahn, State Minister at the Foreign Office, recently stated in an interview with “Bild am Sonntag” that deliberate and conscious violations of NATO airspace should be met with the potential for a NATO defensive response. He referenced Turkey’s 2015 decision to shoot down a Russian fighter jet as a precedent.
However, this stance has drawn criticism from within the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Adis Ahmetovic, the SPD’s spokesperson for foreign policy in the Bundestag, cautioned against an immediate shoot-down, calling such an action “currently irresponsible” in an interview with the same publication. Ahmetovic emphasized that diplomatic and military measures, such as intercepting and diverting aircraft, should be exhausted first to prevent uncontrolled escalation. He added that an interception should only be a last resort in cases of imminent danger and that calls for immediate shoot-downs could generate unwarranted public anxiety.
Patrick Sensburg, President of the Reservist Association, has also voiced opposition to a shoot-down policy. Sensburg advocated for interception and, if necessary, forced landing, arguing that any alternative course of action would escalate tensions unnecessarily. He believes interception alone provides a sufficient demonstration of strength and resolve.
