NATO’s Air Defense Dilemma

Russia has deliberately probed NATO's defenses by flying numerous unarmed decoy drones and jets into the airspace of member countries like Poland and Romania. This strategy effectively tests the alliance's military response and political resolve while creating a massive cost imbalance, forcing NATO to use million-dollar missiles against cheap drones. These incursions are designed to sow political tension and raise doubts about the U.S. commitment to collective defense, potentially fracturing the alliance if an incident causes casualties. A more effective response could involve proactively helping