BERLIN — German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius said calls to shoot down Russian jets that have entered NATO airspace are counterproductive, advocating instead for a policy of restraint following several incursions by Moscow’s warplanes.

He characterized the violations as dangerous and highlighted the risk of an accident or misunderstanding, but said that in the recent events, there had been no reckless behavior by Russian pilots.

“So far, there has been no recognizable aggressiveness in these incidents. But that is a prerequisite for kinetic, physical intervention,” the German defense minister said on Tuesday.

Pistorius, speaking at a press conference after a meeting with his Swedish counterpart, Pål Jonson, said that “frivolous demands to bring something down from the sky” would b

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