‘If we need to confront planes operating in Nato airspace without permission, we will,’ UK’s Cooper warns, as she says Putin risking armed confrontation with Nato

UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper is up next.

She says Russia keeps “violating its most basic obligations under the UN Charter” with “escalating” attacks on Ukraine, and “reckless” acts of incursion into Polish, Romanian and Estonian airspace.

“These latest acts are dangerous and reckless.

At worst, they are a deliberate attempt to undermine the territorial integrity of sovereign nations and European security.

They risk miscalculation, they open the door to direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia.”

In a strong passage, Cooper says that “Nato’s combined strength is unparalleled and its determination to defend peace and security is unshakeable.”

“To President Putin, I say your reckless actions risk a direct armed confrontation between Nato and Russia.

Our alliance is defensive, but be under no illusion.

We stand ready to take all steps necessary to defend Nato skies and Nato’s territory. We are vigilant.

We are resolute, and if we need to confront planes that are operating in Nato airspace without permission, then we will do so.”

She continues:

“Russia’s imperialist warmongering is a threat to international peace and security.

It is a threat to the values and principles that underpin this organisation, this organisation that has done so much to support stability and prosperity these past 80 years, we must counter it for the sake of us all.”

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Updated at 11.23 EDT

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Moldova detains 74 people over an alleged Russia-backed unrest plot around key election

Moldovan authorities said they carried out 250 raids and detained 74 people on Monday as part of an investigation into an alleged Russia-backed plan to incite “mass riots” and destabilise the country around a critical parliamentary election, according to AP.

The raids targeted more than 100 people and took place in multiple localities across the country, police said. 74 people were detained for up to 72 hours, said Victor Furtuna, Moldova’s chief prosecutor from the office for combating organised crime and special cases.

Moldovans will vote to choose a new 101-seat legislature on Sunday, in an election many view as a choice between Moldova’s continued path toward EU membership or closer ties with Russia.

Moldova’s police said that the unrest plot was “coordinated from the Russian Federation, through criminal elements”.

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In other news, German police said on Monday that they were investigating a possible “political motive” after train cables were cut between Cologne and Düsseldorf, with the country on high alert for sabotage from Russia and others, reports AFP.

“We discovered at about 01:15 am that several cables had been cut in a cable shaft in the Rheindorf area of Leverkusen,” a Cologne police spokesperson said.

There was considerable disruption to services in the region, according to Cologne police, adding that “a political motive cannot be excluded at this time”.

The incident occurred in the densely populated part of western Germany and caused chaos for commuters in the region on Monday morning.

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Jakub Krupa

Jakub Krupa

That’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, as I hand the blog over to Matthew Pearce to guide you through the evening.

ShareUN Security Council on Russian violations of Nato airspace — in picturesEstonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations Headquarters. Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/APUS Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations Headquarters. Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/APRussia’s first deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Nations Headquarters. Photograph: Yuki Iwamura/APShareUN Security Council on Russian violations of Nato airspace in Estonia — summary

Jakub Krupa

Jakub Krupa

UK and Polish foreign ministers warned Russia they were prepared to confront their planes in Nato airspace as they lead a group of European leaders at the UN security council criticising Russia for “reckless” behaviour and escalating tensions in the region after three fighter jets entered Estonian airspace on Friday (16:29, 16:34, 17:26, 17:35, 17:38, 17:46, 17:50).

Poland’s Sikorski issued a stark warning to Russia telling Moscow “not to come to whine about it” if Poland shoots down its plane or missile next time it gets into Polish airspace, with the UK’s Cooper also saying that “if we need to confront planes operating in Nato airspace without permission, we will” (16:26, 17:31).

Estonian foreign minister warned that Russia “has become a real threat to global peace and security,” as he countered Moscow’s attempt to play down the incident and stressed that “hard facts” showed a clear “violation of Estonian territory and sovereignty” by three armed and combat-ready fighter jets (17:19, 17:23).

Danish foreign minister warned that “Russia’s neighbours, not unreasonably, fear they could be next” after Ukraine as he spoke of growing regional fears over Russia’s aggressive behaviour (16:18).

But Russian representative focused on aggressively questioning evidence and attacking Europe by accusing it of “primitive hatred” of Russia, branding European leaders as “small time blinkered russophobes” guided by “paranoia … reaching heights never seen before” (16:51).

New US ambassador and former national security adviser Mike Waltz insisted that the US and allies were determined to “defend every inch of Nato territory,” as he condemned the incident (17:10).

In contrast, China refused to criticise Russia and instead appealed for “restraint” to “avoid misunderstandings and misjudgements” between the countries (16:38).

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Updated at 12.14 EDT

Braže’s speech on behalf of Latvia and Lithuania completes the lineup, and ends the meeting.

ShareBenelux, Nordic, Baltic countries line up to condemn Russia

Dutch foreign minister, speaking on behalf of the three Benelux countries, also “condemns these violations in the strongest possible terms.”

“This is not an isolated incident. It cannot be ignored,” David van Weel says.

“This incident demonstrates that if Russia’s aggression remains unchecked, it is bound to repeat itself,” he warns.

Swedish foreign minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, makes a very similar comment on behalf of the five Nordic states: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as does Latvian foreign minister Baiba Braže, speaking also on behalf of Lithuania.

“We will never accept Russia’s attempt to attack, dominate, intimidate or establish a sphere of influence over its neighbours. Empires are dead,” Braže said.

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Updated at 11.51 EDT

Romanian foreign minister Oana Țoiu strikes a similar tone, saying “it is dismaying that one permanent member of the security council is out of sync and blatantly violates” its principles.

“Russia should not be emboldened to continue such behaviour in this context,” she says.

Share‘Who will be the next country dealing with Russia’s provocations?,’ Ukrainian minister asks

Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha is up next.

He warns that Russia will not stop here and likely try to provoke other countries.

“What’s next? Which other emergency meeting will we have to hold in the coming weeks? Who will be the next country dealing with Russia’s provocations?,” he asks.

He says:

“None of these developments were accidental. No. Moscow does this on purpose.

A country occupying a permanent seat in this council is destroying international peace and security it is supposed to maintain.”

He notes that “Europe is not at war with Russia, but Russia is at war with Europe, and the only way to safeguard peace is to respond with strength and unity.”

ShareRussia ‘poses serious danger to regional security,’ German foreign minister warns

Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul is speaking now.

He also calls the Estonian incident “a dangerous escalation by Russia” and a “grave violation of international law.”

“This is not the behaviour of a state seeking to preserve global peace and security, but one of recklessly disregarding international norms,” he says, as he expresses solidarity with Estonia.

He makes a broader point, too:

“First, Russia’s ongoing aggression is not only directed against Ukraine and its people; rather, in its reckless behaviour, Russia poses serious danger to regional security as well as to global peace and stability.”

Share‘If another missile or aircraft enters Nato airspace and gets shot down, … don’t come here to whine about it,’ Poland’s Sikorski tells Russia as he puts it on notice

Poland’s Radosław Sikorski is up next.

He picks up on Kallas’s point, saying that “if these were accidents, why not immediately acknowledge them and apologise.”

“We have given Russia a pass in the past in such circumstances, but we have not heard any apologies, only lies,” he says.

He says “these breaches of airspace are suspect because they are an escalation of hybrid war which Russia has waged against the West for years,” listing “murders of politicians, journalists, human rights defenders and defectors, cyber-attacks against hospitals and financial institutions, arsons, including in Poland, UK and Lithuania, postal packages containing incendiary devices all over Europe, including Germany attacks on Ukrainian embassies, in addition to standard espionage and disinformation.”

He says “this council has a responsibility to send a clear message that such provocations will not be tolerated.”

He then turns directly to Russia, as he says:

“To the representatives of Russia, I have this to say: we know you don’t care for international law, and you are incapable of living in peace with your neighbours.

Your insane nationalism contains a lust for domination that will not cease until you realise that the age of empires is over and that your empire will not be rebuilt.

Every drone strike by the heroes of the armed forces of Ukraine, may God bless them, brings this day closer.”

In a stark warning to Russia, he says:

“We are peaceful democracies who have studiously avoided actively joining your attempt to reconquer Ukraine. But we will not be intimidated.

I have only one request to the Russian government: if another missile or aircraft enters our space without permission, deliberately or by mistake, and gets shot down and the wreckage falls on Nato territory, please don’t come here to whine about it.

You have been warned.”

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Updated at 11.39 EDT