The Guardian view on the downed Russian jet: stay cool, Ankara and Moscow

Tuesday’s downing of a Russian fighter jet by Turkey on the Syrian border was a nerve-jangling event. It raised the spectre of a direct confrontation between two large powers: one a Nato member, the other nuclear-armed. The already complex Syrian war suddenly threatened to spill over into something even wider. Turkey said the plane was shot down after repeated warnings that it had violated its national airspace, which Russia denies. Russia’s Vladimir Putin fired back that it was “a stab in the back carried out by the accomplices of terrorists”.
Yet at the same time both sides have also been keen to avoid an uncontrollable escalation. Mr Putin said the incident would be “analysed” – suggesting a cooler tone – and although Turkey convened a Nato meeting, it chose not to activate the alliance’s collective defence clause. The harsh rhetoric on both sides speaks to domestic audiences, but the strategic risks are also obvious.