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President Trump delivered his strongest stance yet against Russian aggression during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday.
When asked whether NATO member countries should shoot down Russian aircraft entering their airspace, Mr. Trump responded affirmatively with a simple “Yes, I do.” However, when pressed about whether the U.S. would support NATO allies who take such action, the president gave a more ambiguous response, saying “depends” without further elaboration.
The president’s comments represent a significant shift in his approach to the Ukraine conflict and Russian aggression. Mr. Trump also expressed his most optimistic assessment of Ukraine’s military prospects, stating he believes Ukraine can win the war and reclaim all territory lost to Russia. This marks a departure from his previous position that Ukraine should cede occupied territories to secure peace.
NATO has been increasingly concerned about Russian airspace violations along its eastern borders. Russia has been accused of breaching the airspace of Poland and Romania with drones, and Estonia with fighter jets.
Earlier Tuesday, NATO issued a strong warning that it would use “all necessary military and non-military tools” to defend against Russian incursions, though Secretary-General Mark Rutte indicated decisions about shooting down suspected aircraft would be made on a case-by-case.
Sweden, NATO’s newest member after joining last year, has also taken a firm stance. Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson declared his nation “will defend its airspace” against Russian violations.
President Trump’s rhetoric toward Russia has notably hardened, describing the country as appearing like “a paper tiger” after fighting “aimlessly for three-and-a-half years” in what he claimed should have taken “a real military power less than a week to win.” He characterized Russia as being in “big economic trouble” and suggested this creates an opportunity for Ukraine.
In a Truth Social post following his meeting with President Zelenskyy, President Trump wrote that Ukraine, with European Union and NATO support, “is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back to its original form.” He emphasized that restoring Ukraine’s original borders “is very much an option” with “time, patience and the financial support of Europe.”
The president also reaffirmed America’s commitment to NATO, vowing to continue supplying weapons to the alliance while encouraging Ukraine to “seize the moment” against a weakened Russia.
Read more: Trump says NATO countries should shoot Russian jets entering their airspace
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