US President Donald Trump has declared his support for NATO countries shooting down Russian aircraft that violate allied airspace. His remarks came as Russia intensified strikes on Ukraine and security concerns grew along Europe’s eastern flank.
Trump made this statement during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. When asked about NATO shoot-downs, he responded firmly, “Yes, I do.” On being questioned about his current level of trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin, he added, “I’ll let you know in about a month.”
Trump Says Ukraine Can Reclaim Original Borders With EU and NATO Support
Later, on his social media account, Trump stated that he believes Ukraine, with support from the European Union and NATO, is capable of reclaiming its original borders. He added that, with time, patience, and financial backing from Europe, this goal remains achievable.
“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. With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump added that Ukraine should act now, as Putin and Russia face significant economic troubles.
“Putin and Russia are in BIG Economic trouble, and this is the time for Ukraine to act,” Trump added in the post.
Russian Massive Missile and Drone Attack On Ukraine
On September 19, Russia carried out a large-scale overnight assault on Ukraine, launching 40 missiles and approximately 580 drones, resulting in at least three deaths and multiple injuries.
In response, NATO allies strengthened defenses along Europe’s eastern borders. Poland’s military stated that Polish and allied jets were scrambled in a “preventative operation” after Russian strikes targeted areas near the Polish border. The United Kingdom also confirmed that its fighter jets conducted their first NATO mission under the Eastern Sentry initiative, patrolling Polish airspace against potential Russian threats.
Tensions further escalated when three Russian fighter jets reportedly entered Estonian airspace on Friday. While Russia’s Ministry of Defence denied the incident, Estonian authorities confirmed the 12-minute breach through both radar and visual monitoring. Colonel Ants Kiviselg, head of Estonia’s Military Intelligence Centre, noted that it still needed to be verified whether the violation was intentional.
