(12 Sep 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brussels, Belgium – 12 September 2025
1. Wide of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Alexus Grynkewich at news conference
2. Cutaway of camera
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General:
"What it shows is that we will defend every inch of NATO territory, every inch of allied territory, all 32 allies, and whatever the intent was behind this, yes or no, and whether it was a mistake or not, we are still looking into that. It was reckless, it was unacceptable, these are Russian drones, and it is extremely serious what happened last Wednesday, so obviously we would not be sitting here like this if then NATO would not immediately come into action and defend every inch or territory, this allied territory, it is exactly what we have done. And in the end, it’s up to Russia, how far they will take this, we will defend ourselves."
4. Mid of Rutte and Grynkewich
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR):
"I have issued the order tonight for Eastern Sentry to begin. The order went out as this press conference began. And so operations are being brought together immediately underneath my authorities as SACEUR. Now, it will take some time for us to bring everything together with the new contributions that have been coming in. And we’ll continue to work on this and refine the design of the operation moving forward, but it begins immediately."
6. Cutaway of NATO logos
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General:
"This is about the eastern flank because here is a direct threat to the eastern flank from, for example drones or whatever, could threaten our allies on the eastern flank. But generally speaking you know I don’t like that whole eastern flank thinking because it gives the impression that if I live in Madrid or in London I am safer than when I live in Tallinn and that’s not true, because these latest Russian missiles when they will be launched they come down with five times the speed of sound and they will take five or ten minutes longer to reach Madrid or London than they take to reach Tallinn or Vilnius. So in that sense, let’s agree that within this alliance of 32 countries we all live on the eastern flank."
8. Rutte and Grynkewich leaving briefing
STORYLINE:
NATO’s top military officer on Friday launched a new operation, dubbed Eastern Sentry, to better defend the alliance’s eastern flank bordering Belarus, Russia and Ukraine following this week’s drone incident in Poland.
The effort will incorporate NATO’s air policing and existing air and ground-based defenses with new equipment promised in the wake of the incident by France, Denmark, Germany and the U.K.
"Now, it will take some time for us to bring everything together with the new contributions that have been coming in," NATO’s supreme commander in Europe, U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich told reporters at the alliance’s Brussels headquarters. "And we’ll continue to work on this and refine the design of the operation moving forward, but it begins immediately."
"What it shows is that we will defend every inch of NATO territory, every inch of allied territory, all 32 allies," said Rutte, adding that all European capitals should be concerned, not just the ones on the eastern flank.
French Rafale fighter jets, Danish F-16s, a frigate and ground-based defense systems have been promised for the new effort. Grynkewich said that it will take some time to “refine” the operation as the military equipment arrives.
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