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What are NATO’s national caveats and why do they hinder fast response?

Published

2 months ago

October 15, 2025

What are NATO’s national caveats and why do they hinder fast response?

A growing number of NATO allies are calling for harmonising national caveats that hinder the alliance’s ability to respond quickly to threats such as airspace violations — but the task is likely to be arduous.

As defence ministers from the 32 member states gathered in Brussels for a meeting on Wednesday, most allies called for a reduction in the use of national caveats in northern or eastern Europe, where an increasing number of airspace violations has been recorded in recent weeks.

Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson said “there’s room for improvement within the alliance” and that his country’s model should “inspire others”.

“It’s the mandate of the pilot, or commander of the surface vessels to make the call and that’s good,” he added.

His Dutch counterpart similarly lamented that different regulations among allies “make(s) it complicated when things get tough.”

“When the F35s are up in the air, you need to make sure that for everyone it’s very clear what the regulations are, the rules of engagement, and how then to also get to an agreement with the authorities,” Ruben Brekelmans said.

“We support the efforts by SACEUR by making sure that those regulations are harmonised and that we have one set of rules for this,” he added.

The two ministers echoed the US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, who told journalists earlier this week that “it’s no secret that the more ‘national caveats’ there are on — especially our fighter jet assets — the harder it is for SACEUR to respond immediately.”

“Those are conversations that we’re going to continue to have within the alliance and to make sure that … where they can be reduced, they can be reduced,” he said.

‘Holding us back’

In effect, these caveats are limitations each nation places on the use of its forces during NATO missions.

In Afghanistan, for instance, some allies placed restrictions on where their forces could be deployed, what kind of weapons they were allowed to use and under what circumstances they could use them.

Another recurrent caveat is the requirement that the top national officer deployed to the NATO mission must first secure authorisation from their home country before taking part in any new operation.

When it comes to rules of engagement for airspace violations, one nation may allow an object to be shot down based on radar readings, whereas another may require visual confirmation first. They may also have different rules on what weapons their fighter jets can be equipped with.

This makes it very difficult for the Supreme Allied Commander (SACEUR), NATO’s top military authority, to act quickly in times of crisis.

NATO officials are nonetheless saying that national caveats were not a problem last month when nearly 20 drones violated Poland’s airspace, prompting NATO to deploy multiple fighter jets to neutralise some of them.

Mark Rutte, NATO’s secretary general, told reporters on Wednesday that allies responded “as we should have”. But he conceded earlier this week in Slovenia that national caveats “are holding us back” and “making us less effective”.

‘A greater appetite’ to resolve the issue

Complaints about how national caveats are hindering the alliance’s effectiveness are not new. NATO leaders already discussed reducing their use at a summit in Riga in 2006, in the context of operations in Afghanistan. These talks didn’t yield much.

In part, that’s because caveats are first and foremost political decisions, Rafael Loss, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told Euronews.

“Ultimately, it’s about citizens of those countries either dying or killing in the name of NATO and so that is the highest sort of sovereign decision that governments hold on to,” Loss said.

What they show, he added, is that “NATO in the end still consists of 32 different countries.”

But the global geopolitical landscape has vastly changed since the early 2000s, and the sense of urgency in Europe is much more acute due to Russia’s belligerence.

Airspace violations, some of them blamed on Russia, were also observed in Estonia, Romania and Denmark in rapid succession last month.

“I think given that the current security environment is much more immediately threatening and requires an urgent response, there is a greater chance that this time around, relating to air defence on the eastern flank, NATO has some greater appetite to really work through this difficult issue,” Loss said.

However, he added, the idea that national caveats could soon become a thing of the past is “far-fetched”.

‘Shoot them down’

Some leaders, like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have said the issue is simple.

“If you have drones which do not belong to your state, shoot them down,” he said earlier this month from Copenhagen where EU leaders discussed the possibility of erecting a so-called drone wall.

But while, in theory, countries may have the right to down drones or fighter jets that violate their airspace, in practice it’s not as clear-cut, especially for NATO allies.

Some countries, including those on the eastern flank, may just not have the capabilities to do so and therefore rely on NATO missions for air policing. And then there is the political element.

“Even if you’re capable of unilaterally shooting down a potential threat, you still have to wrestle with the fact that if this is not a somewhat coordinated response, you face the risk of other NATO allies not agreeing with your course of action and thereby your actions fracturing alliance cohesion,” Loss said.

Rutte on Wednesday said he disagreed with calls for Russian planes to be systematically downed if they enter NATO airspace.

“I think you have to make sure that you are absolutely convinced whether yes or no it is posing a threat. If it is posing a threat, we can do everything needed to make sure the threat will not materialise,” he said.

But if it is not posing a threat, he continued, allies should ensure the plane “will gently be guided outside of our airspace.”

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World

Two teen Afghan asylum seekers learn fate for raping 15-year-old in local park

Published

32 minutes ago

December 8, 2025

Press Room

Two teen Afghan asylum seekers learn fate for raping 15-year-old in local park

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Two teenage asylum seekers from Afghanistan have been jailed after admitting to the rape of a 15-year-old girl in a U.K. park, officials have confirmed.

According to police, the victim had been in Leamington in Warwickshire with friends on May 10 when they met Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal.

The teenage girl began talking with them before they asked her to join them on a walk.

They then led her to a park area known as Newbold Comyn, where they raped her, Warwickshire police confirmed in a statement released online.

STATE DEPARTMENT WARNS UK OVER GROOMING GANG HANDLING: ‘UNSPEAKABLE ABUSE’

Two teenagers admit rape charges in UK court proceedings after a park attack.

Following the attack, the teenager managed to flag down a passerby, who contacted local police.

Detectives launched an investigation using CCTV footage and photographs the victim had taken on her phone earlier in the day.

Officers were able to identify and arrest the two 17-year-old suspects.

Jahanzeb and Niazal were charged with rape and later appeared before the youth court in Coventry, where they admitted the offense.

FRANTIC MANHUNT LAUNCHED AFTER ASYLUM SEEKER WHO SEXUALLY ASSAULTED TEEN ACCIDENTALLY FREED FROM PRISON

Two teenage asylum seekers from Afghanistan were jailed after admitting to the rape of a 15-year-old girl in Leamington, Warwickshire. (Peter Thompson/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

At their sentencing hearing at Warwick Crown Court on Monday, the judge lifted reporting restrictions that had previously prevented the pair from being named because of their age.

It was also confirmed in court that both are Afghan asylum seekers.

Jahanzeb was sentenced to 10 years and eight months, while Niazal received nine years and 10 months.

Both will begin their terms in a Young Offenders’ Institution and will be transferred to an adult prison at a later stage.

They were also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and handed indefinite restraining orders.

DUBLIN PROTESTERS CLASH WITH POLICE, BURN VEHICLE AFTER MIGRANT ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING IRISH GIRL

Police officers in the U.K. (Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images)

U.K. Detective Chief Inspector Richard Hobbs praised the victim for her courage in coming forward.

“This was a hugely traumatic incident, and I can’t speak highly enough of the victim for the bravery she has shown,” he said in a statement.

He added that the investigation had been handled by specially trained officers who had supported the victim from the outset.

“Jahanzeb and Niazal went out of their way to befriend the victim with the intention of raping her. The length of their sentence reflects the severity of their crime and the need to protect the public from them,” he added.

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DCI Hobbs said he hoped the case would reassure other victims of sexual violence that they would be listened to and supported if they report offenses.

“We will always investigate thoroughly and sensitively, and do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice,” he added.

Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.

World

Honduran election authorities resume vote tallies amid allegations of fraud

Published

2 hours ago

December 8, 2025

Press Room

Honduran election authorities resume vote tallies amid allegations of fraud

Central American nation on edge after voting plagued by fraud claims and a recent history of contested elections.

Published On 8 Dec 2025

Election officials in Honduras have released updated voting results from the country’s November 30 election, following a three-day pause in tallies amid allegations of fraud and inconsistencies.

With 89 percent of ballots tallied on Monday, the conservative candidate Nasry Asfura held a slim lead of 40.21 percent over centrist contender Salvador Nasralla, who has 39.5 percent.

Paul Dano Joins Cast of Florian Zeller’s Psychological Thriller ‘Bunker’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Published

12 hours ago

December 8, 2025

Press Room

Paul Dano Joins Cast of Florian Zeller’s Psychological Thriller ‘Bunker’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Paul Dano has landed his next big project. The actor will star in “Bunker,” an elevated psychological thriller from Oscar-winning filmmaker Florian Zeller.

Dano, known for his performances in “There Will Be Blood,” “The Batman” and “The Fabelmans,” has joined the star-studded ensemble of “Bunker,” led by Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, alongside Stephen Graham and Patrick Schwarzenegger. The actor, who’s been loved-bombed by his Hollywood peers since Quentin Tarantino called him “the worst fucking actor in SAG,” recently presented “The Wizard of the Kremlin” in which he stars as spin-doctor Vadim Baranov.

Currently in its second week of filming, “Bunker” marks Zeller’s hotly anticipated follow up to “The Son” which competed at Venice and earned Hugh Jackman a best actor nomination at the Golden Globes; and “The Father” which won best actor for Anthony Hopkins and best adapted screenplay (for Christopher Hampton and Zeller) at the Oscars.

“Bunker” explores the unraveling of a family as a mysterious construction project — a bunker commissioned by a powerful tech mogul — begins to infiltrate their lives. The movie is already positioned as one of 2026’s standout projects. Zeller, a celebrated playright-turned-filmmaker, has guided actors to deliver career-high performances in his first two movies, from Hopkins in “The Father” to Jackman in “The Son.” “Bunker,” which Zeller also penned, also promises to showcase his signature blend of emotional rigor and haunting atmosphere.

“We are thrilled to welcome Paul Dano to the cast,” said Zeller. “From ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ to ‘There Will Be Blood,’ Paul has consistently impressed me as an actor. He possesses an extraordinary singularity — something genuinely unique — and in that sense, he is truly irreplaceable.”

The film is produced by Blue Morning Pictures, which is part of Mediawan, and MOD Producciones. “Bunker” is being shot between Madrid and London. International sales are handled by FilmNation Entertainment with CAA Media Finance and WME Independent handling domestic rights.

Blue Morning Pictures’ Federica Sainte-Rose is producing alongside Fernando Bovaira and Simon de Santiago of MOD Producciones. Alice Dawson also serves as a producer on the film. Mariano Cohn, Gaston Duprat, Andres Duprat, Emanuel Nunez and Fernando Sokolowicz are executive producers.

Zeller praised Cohn and Duprat as “incredibly inventive and talented filmmakers, for whom (he holds) a deep artistic admiration.” “Their film ‘El hombre de al lado’ was a source of inspiration for me while writing ‘Bunker,’” Zeller continued.

Dano is represented by WME, Anonymous Content, Relevant and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.

Zeller is represented by CAA and Adequat in France, as well as attorneys Carlos Goodman and Mitch Smelkinson at Goodman Genow Schenkman Smelkinson & Christopher.