German lawmakers from the Left party have lauded NATO’s response to recent Russian incursions into allied airspace and are advocating for a United Nations investigation into the incidents. Ulrich Thoden, the Left party’s parliamentary spokesperson for defense, stated in comments to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland that the party unequivocally condemns Russia’s escalating military policy towards Estonia and Poland.
Thoden emphasized that President Putin is irresponsibly exacerbating an already tense security situation and risking direct military confrontation with NATO. He affirmed that NATO’s reaction to the violations of international airspace has been appropriate.
To mitigate the risk of escalating military conflict, Thoden argued that these repeated airspace violations, in addition to planned NATO consultations, should be addressed within the United Nations. He voiced concern that Russia’s aggressive escalation is increasingly becoming a threat to global peace and called for an independent UN investigative mechanism to thoroughly clarify the security incidents. This mechanism would aim to assign responsibility and identify the perpetrators in a neutral capacity, providing transparent accountability for the international community. He urged the German government to actively support such an undertaking.
Prior to this statement, the Green party had also criticized Russia’s actions and called for robust countermeasures. Agnieszka Brugger, a defense expert and parliamentary vice chair of the Green party, told RND that it is “high time for a clear message, underpinned by credible and rapid action”. She proposed measures including a halt to Schengen visa issuance, confiscation of frozen Russian assets, significantly tightened sanctions encompassing energy and fertilizers and a credible, robust approach to NATO airspace defense.
