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Newsweek
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ukraine's NATO Ally Can Shoot Down Russian Drones Under New Law
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A law has come into effect in Romania that allows its armed forces to down unmanned aerial vehicles unlawfully breaching its airspace, as the NATO member acts to tackle a growing number of Russian drones landing on its shores. Ilie Bolojan, Romania's acting president, signed the law, which the Romanian parliament passed in February in response to the threat posed by the devices landing in its territory, often in spillover incidents from the war in Ukraine. Newsweek has contacted the Romanian Foreign Ministry for comment. Why It Matters Romania shares a 380-mile border with Ukraine, and because of its proximity to the war zone, it has seen drones repeatedly land in its territory, although there is no evidence that Moscow has deliberately targeted the country. Romania's new law allows it to shoot down such drones and could lead other neighboring NATO countries to follow suit, with the potential for escalation and increased questions over the alliance's Article 5 mutual defense clause. A PAC-2 ATM missile launched from a Patriot rocket launcher of the Romanian army flying through the sky during an army drill at the Capu Midia military shooting range next to the Black Sea on... A PAC-2 ATM missile launched from a Patriot rocket launcher of the Romanian army flying through the sky during an army drill at the Capu Midia military shooting range next to the Black Sea on November 15, 2023. More DANIEL MIHAILESCU//Getty Images What To Know The law to shoot down drones violating Romanian airspace was initially drafted in October following a spate of Russian drones landing in the NATO member. Their target had been southern Ukraine's Odesa Oblast. The incidents prompted legislation that the Romanian parliament passed on February 26. Far-right parties challenged the law but lost the case. On Monday, Bolojan signed the legislation, which stipulates that any aircraft without a pilot that illegally crosses the border and flies in Romania's national airspace without authorization may be destroyed or neutralized. He also signed a law on the peaceful conduct of military missions and operations on Romanian territory. Romania must establish the aircraft's position and identity, attempt contact, intercept and fire warning shots. Piloted vehicles can only be destroyed if they conduct an attack or respond aggressively to interception, the law states. Roger Hilton, a research fellow at the GLOBSEC think tank in Slovakia, told Newsweek in February that Romania's move was a significant but measured escalation by a NATO member to Russian drones strafing its border. He said that while there might be the risk of escalation, Bucharest was left with little alternative as it issued a signal to Moscow and NATO that it would not tolerate unchecked airspace violations. What People Are Saying Roger Hilton, a research fellow at GLOBSEC, said: "Romania's decision to approve neutralizing drones encroaching its airspace marks a significant but measured escalation by a NATO ally." What Happens Next In March, Romania confirmed another case of a Russian drone crashing in its territory, in the border area near the Ukrainian settlement of Reni. Romania has a new president following elections on Sunday, and there is anticipation over how the NATO country will react if another drone breaches its airspace or whether Russia will be more careful.
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Global military spending jumped more in 2024 than any year since Cold War, think tank says
Global military expenditure rose by 9.4% in 2024 to $2.7 trillion, the steepest yearly rise since the end of the Cold War, according to data compiled by the global security think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Spending in Europe, including Russia, was a big factor behind the global surge in spending, SIPRI said. European nations' collective spending increased by 17% to $693 billion amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the organization's data show. Russia's government increased its military spending by 38% to an estimated $149 billion last year, while Ukraine's grew by 2.9% to $64.7 billion. The Ukrainian spending amounted to 34% of the country's GDP, the largest military expenditure by percentage of GDP of any nation last year, according to SIPRI. "Russia once again significantly increased its military spending, widening the spending gap with Ukraine," said Diego Lopes da Silva, a senior researcher at SIPRI. "Ukraine currently allocates all of its tax revenues to its military. In such a tight fiscal space, it will be challenging for Ukraine to keep increasing its military spending." All NATO member nations increased their military spending, too, with 18 countries spending at least 2% of their GDP during 2024, which SIPRI said was the highest number of NATO members to hit that threshold since the alliance adopted it as a spending guideline in 2014. NATO military forces are seen during the Steadfast Dart 2025 exercises at the Smardan Training Area, in Smardan, Romania, Feb. 19, 2025. DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty "The rapid spending increases among European NATO members were driven mainly by the ongoing Russian threat and concerns about possible U.S. disengagement within the alliance," said Jade Guiberteau Ricard, another SIPRI researcher. "It is worth saying that boosting spending alone will not necessarily translate into significantly greater military capability or independence from the USA. Those are far more complex tasks." In the Middle East, Israel and Lebanon significantly increased their military spending. Israel boosted its defense investment by 65% to $46.5 billion, while Lebanon increased its own by 58%, to $635 million. "Despite widespread expectations that many Middle Eastern countries would increase their military spending in 2024, major rises were limited to Israel and Lebanon," said SIPRI researcher Zubaida Karim. "Elsewhere [in the region], countries either did not significantly increase spending in response to the war in Gaza or were prevented from doing so by economic constraints." SIPRI said Iran's military expenditure fell in real terms by 10% to $7.9 billion, despite its involvement in regional conflicts. U.S. military spending grew by 5.7% to $997 billion, amounting to 66% of NATO spending in 2024 and 37% of global military spending. China was the world's second largest military spender last year behind the U.S., accounting for half of all military spending in Asia and Oceania, SIPRI said. China increased its spending by 7% to $314 billion. "Major military spenders in the Asia-Pacific region are investing increasing resources into advanced military capabilities," said Nan Tian, the director of the SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program. 'With several unresolved disputes and mounting tensions, these investments risk sending the region into a dangerous arms-race spiral."
