NATO is considering an armed response to the hybrid war led by Vladimir Putin

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NATO allies are discussing a more forceful response to Vladimir Putin’s increasingly provocative actions, including deploying armed drones along the border with Russia and easing restrictions on pilots to allow them to open fire on Russian aircraft.

The talks aim to raise costs To Moscow about its “hybrid war” Clear countermeasures were in place after a series of airspace violations by Russian drones and aircraft, according to four NATO officials briefed on the talks.

Frontline countries bordering Russia, with support from France and the United Kingdom, began discussions that have since expanded to include a larger group in the 32-nation coalition.

The proposals include arming surveillance drones used to gather intelligence on Russian military activities, and downgrading pilots who patrol the eastern border to eliminate Russian threats. Another option is to hold NATO military exercises on the border with Russia, especially in remote and unguarded areas of the border.

Donald Trump said last month that NATO should open fire on Russian aircraft that violate allied territory.

The US President’s statements came after a wave of Russian provocations, including the first direct confrontation Between NATO aircraft and Russian drones Since the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In addition to that confrontation in Polish airspace, Russian drones and MiG fighter jets have also veered into Romanian territory. Crossed Estonian airspace.

Meanwhile, dozens of unidentified drones have caused widespread disruption at airports in Belgium, Denmark and Germany, with some officials attributing them to the same hybrid warfare being waged by Moscow that includes cyberattacks and sabotage attempts.

Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO, said last week that he was “working every day” with allies to ensure “we have better options on asymmetric warfare… and hybrid warfare.” He said it was important to “make sure we have enough rungs on the escalation ladder.”

Two NATO officials said one pressing issue was simplifying the rules of engagement along the eastern flank. Some nations require fighter pilots to conduct visual confirmation of threats before engagement, while others allow them to open fire based on radar data or perceived danger from the direction or speed of the enemy object.

NATO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The talks, which began in a small group of directly affected countries, have now turned into a broader discussion, as other allied capitals recognize the broader threat posed by the virus, two of the officials said. Moscow’s destabilization campaign.

Some capitals are also pushing for a more aggressive NATO stance as a means of deterrence, one of the officials said. Other allies advise a more measured response, given the risks of direct confrontation with a nuclear power like Russia.

“There are active discussions on these issues, and how to respond better and more efficiently to Russia,” one NATO diplomat said, warning that the talks were still in a preliminary stage.

NATO held emergency talks twice last month, due to events in Poland and Estonia, and launched the Eastern Sentinel Mission – a mission to bolster the air defenses of frontline countries.

The four officials cautioned that there is no timetable or commitment to agree on any change in position, and the shift may not be announced publicly.

NATO’s discussions come as the European Union prepares to take its own steps in response to Russian provocations.

These measures include limiting the travel around Europe of Russian diplomats, who intelligence agencies suspect of running agents and sabotage operations in countries other than where they are officially based, and using EU funding to help create anti-drone defense systems.

“This is a deliberate gray zone campaign directed against Europe. Europe must respond,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.

She told the European Parliament: “Russia wants to sow the seeds of division. We must respond with unity.” “We must not only respond, we must deter. Because if we hesitate to act, the gray zone will only expand.”