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Trump-Russian jets: ‘Shoot down those who violate NATO airspace’

Trump-Russian jets: when asked about possible violations, the US president pushes for a hard line: ‘Yes, allied countries should do that.’ The statement comes as Russian incursions into European airspace increase

The statement that raises tensions – Donald Trump once again chooses the harshest tone. During a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the UN, he responds bluntly to a question about possible Russian violations of NATO airspace: ‘Yes, allied countries should shoot down Russian jets that violate it.’ He adds only one caveat, which leaves room for uncertainty: ‘Would the United States intervene? It depends on the circumstances. You know, we have a strong position in relation to NATO.’

Increasingly crowded skies

The statement comes after a series of incidents that have already set off alarms in the Baltic countries and Poland. Warsaw scrambled its F-15s and F-35s to repel Russian drones, while last Friday three Russian MiG-31s flew through Estonian airspace for 12 minutes, forcing Italian F-35s to take off immediately.

Trump-Russian jets: a worrying verbal escalation

Trump’s advice sounds like a green light for direct military action, an option that NATO itself avoids mentioning. The risk is that it will fuel an escalation at a time already marked by growing tensions between Moscow and the Atlantic Alliance.

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