NEW YORK — President Donald Trump on Tuesday said NATO countries should take decisive military action if Russian aircraft enter their airspace, suggesting they should be shot down in such instances.
The remarks came during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
When asked whether the United States would support NATO allies in confronting Russian incursions, President Trump said, “It depends on the circumstance.” His comments follow recent reports from Poland and Romania of Russian aircraft breaching their airspace, prompting NATO to dispatch fighter jets. Estonia also reported that three Russian jets entered its airspace last Friday—an allegation the Kremlin has denied.
Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, a frequent critic of President Trump’s prior approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin, quickly responded to Trump’s remarks. “Roger that,” Sikorski posted on X.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reaffirmed the alliance’s commitment to collective defense but did not directly endorse the idea of automatically shooting down intruding aircraft.
“Decisions on whether to engage intruding aircraft, such as firing upon them, are, of course, taken in real time and always based on available intelligence regarding the threat posed, including questions of intent, armament, and potential risks to Allied forces, civilians, or infrastructure,” Rutte said.
In his address to the U.N. General Assembly, President Trump criticized Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, saying the conflict is damaging Russia’s international image.
“It’s not making Russia look good. It’s making them look bad,” Trump stated.
He reiterated his ongoing threat of imposing severe tariffs on Russia if it fails to pursue a peace agreement. However, he emphasized that economic pressure must also come from U.S. allies.
“Europe has to step it up. They can’t be doing what they’re doing,” Trump said. “They’re buying oil and gas from Russia while they’re fighting Russia. It’s embarrassing to them.”
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy expressed support for President Trump’s approach during their meeting later that day.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who also met with President Trump, said the European Union is working toward fully ending its dependence on Russian energy by 2027—or sooner.
“President Trump is absolutely right on it,” she said. “We have already massively reduced the gas supply from Russia, completely exited Russian coal, and significantly cut oil imports. But there’s still some coming to the European continent. We want to get rid of it.”
President Trump emphasized that economic pressure, rather than prolonged warfare, is the most effective path to ending the conflict.
“After getting to know and fully understand the Ukraine/Russia military and economic situation, and after seeing the economic trouble it is causing Russia, I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form,” he wrote on his social media platform following his meeting with Zelenskyy. “Ukraine would be able to take back their country in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that!”