Former President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind NATO allies taking firm military action against Russian aircraft that breach alliance airspace, while clarifying that U.S. involvement would vary depending on the situation.
Speaking in New York during the United Nations General Assembly, Trump addressed the issue in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. When asked if NATO members should shoot down Russian jets entering their airspace, Trump replied directly: “Yes, I do.” He quickly added, however, that any American support would “depend on the circumstance.”
Trump’s remarks underline his endorsement of NATO’s right to defend its borders but stop short of committing U.S. forces to direct military action against Russian aircraft.
The comments come amid a surge of reported violations by Russian planes and drones over Eastern European NATO members, including Poland, Romania, and Estonia. One recent incident saw three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets briefly cross into Estonian airspace before being intercepted by Italian NATO pilots and escorted out after about 12 minutes. In response, NATO triggered Article 4 of its founding treaty, initiating consultations over the perceived threat.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has also reiterated the alliance’s warning to Moscow, stressing that all necessary measures — both military and non-military — remain on the table to protect member states.
